Edwin M. Stanton

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Edwin McMasters Stanton, painting by Henry Ulke (1821–1910) Stanton's signature
Photo portrait of Stanton (date unknown)

Edwin McMasters Stanton (born December 19, 1814 in Steubenville , Ohio , † December 24, 1869 in Washington, DC ) was an American politician. During the Civil War he was Lincoln's Secretary of War . His dismissal by Lincoln's successor Andrew Johnson in 1868 resulted in the narrowest impeachment in US history, Johnson was only able to stay in office with great difficulty.

biography

Edwin M. Stanton studied law and worked as a lawyer in Washington from 1857. In 1860 he became the United States Attorney General under President James Buchanan .

1862 appointed him Abraham Lincoln as a war minister , after his predecessor Simon Cameron did not show the Office grown. Stanton was a democrat and an opponent of slavery. Even after Lincoln took office, he did not have a high opinion of Lincoln and described him as the original gorilla . Nonetheless, Lincoln appointed him as an advisor to the War Department and soon as Cameron's successor. Originally he had only accepted this office to help his country, but soon he received great respect for Lincoln and his administration, at whose funeral he described him as the most perfect ruler of men the world has ever seen .

Although Stanton gained great recognition for organizing and feeding the Union Army during the American Civil War, he also caused damage through his harsh and undiplomatic manner and his interference in war operations. He cracked down on actual and supposed supporters of the southern states in his own ranks, which also led to repeated criticism. However, Lincoln vehemently refused to be released.

Edwin M. Stanton remained Secretary of War after the assassination of Lincoln under his successor Andrew Johnson . He appeared in the post-war period against the mediating policy of Johnson and was therefore dismissed by him. To prevent his release, he barricaded himself in his office. Stanton's dismissal, which under the Tenure of Office Act at the time would have required Senate approval , became the main count in the but ultimately unsuccessful process for Johnson's impeachment .

In May 1868, Stanton resigned and was nominated Supreme Court Justice under President Ulysses S. Grant to succeed Robert Cooper Grier in December 1869 , but died four days after his Senate confirmation before he took office.

The writer Otto Eisenschiml complained in his book Why was Lincoln murdered? Stanton said he organized the Lincoln assassination. These allegations could not be proven, but are found again and again in various theories about the group of conspirators who killed Lincoln and injured Secretary of State William H. Seward .

According to him, Stanton County , Nebraska and Stanton County named in Kansas.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ The Library of Congress, Washington, DC, Permalink

literature

Web links

Commons : Edwin McMasters Stanton  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files
personal data
SURNAME Stanton, Edwin M.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Stanton, Edwin McMasters (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH December 19, 1814
PLACE OF BIRTH Steubenville, Ohio
DATE OF DEATH December 24, 1869
Place of death Washington, DC