Austin Blair

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Austin Blair

Austin Blair (born February 8, 1818 in Caroline , Tompkins County , New York , † August 6, 1894 in Jackson , Michigan ) was an American politician and from 1861 to 1865 the 13th governor of the state of Michigan.

Early years and political advancement

Austin Blair first attended Cazenovia Seminary , Hamilton College in Clinton and then, until 1837, Union College in Schenectady . After completing a law degree in Oswego , he was admitted to the bar in 1841. In 1842 he moved to Eaton Rapids , Michigan, where he worked as a lawyer.

Blair's first public office was as an administrator in Eaton County . At that time he was a member of the Whigs , for which he also sat between 1845 and 1849 in the Michigan House of Representatives . In 1852, he became a Jackson County District Attorney . Blair was a co-founder of the Republican Party in 1854 . Between 1855 and 1856 he was a member of the Michigan Senate as a representative of his party . In 1860 he was a delegate to the Republican National Convention , where Abraham Lincoln was nominated as a presidential candidate. In the same year he was elected the new governor of Michigan.

Governor and Congressman

Austin Blair began his new role on January 2, 1861. After re-election in 1862, he was able to remain in office until January 4, 1865. Almost all of his term in office was overshadowed by the events of the civil war. Troops had to be raised and equipped. These efforts have been funded in part by private donations from bankers, industrialists, and other wealthy business people. Blair himself also contributed to the war donations. The governor fully and wholeheartedly supported the federal government's war efforts. He even exceeded the specified contingents by far. Industry also had to be converted to armaments requirements.

After the end of his tenure, Blair remained politically active. Between 1867 and 1873 he was a member of the US House of Representatives . There he was chairman of the Committee on Private Land Claims . A later attempt to be re-elected governor was as unsuccessful as his efforts to obtain a judge's position on the Michigan Supreme Court. Blair then went back to work as a lawyer. Between 1881 and 1889 he sat on the board of directors of the University of Michigan . He died in 1894. Austin Blair was married to Sarah L. Ford, with whom he had four children.

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personal data
SURNAME Blair, Austin
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH February 8, 1818
PLACE OF BIRTH Caroline , New York
DATE OF DEATH August 6, 1894
Place of death Jackson , Michigan