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William Henry Seward

William Henry Seward
Artist
Francis D'Avignon, 29 Oct 1813 - c. 1871
Copy after
Jeremiah Gurney, 12 Oct 1812 - 21 Apr 1895
Sitter
William Henry Seward, 16 May 1801 - 15 Oct 1872
Date
1853
Type
Print
Medium
Lithograph on paper
Dimensions
Sheet: 57.5 x 48.6 cm (22 5/8 x 19 1/8")
Topic
Costume\Dress Accessory\Neckwear\Tie\Bowtie
William Henry Seward: Male
William Henry Seward: Politics and Government\US Senator\New York
William Henry Seward: Law and Crime\Lawyer
William Henry Seward: Politics and Government\Presidential candidate
William Henry Seward: Politics and Government\Statesman
William Henry Seward: Politics and Government\Governor\New York
William Henry Seward: Politics and Government\Cabinet member\Secretary of State
William Henry Seward: Politics and Government\State Senator\New York
Portrait
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Object number
NPG.72.68
Exhibition Label
First as governor of New York (1839–43) and later as a U.S. senator (1849–61), William H. Seward advocated strongly for reform. He argued against the passage of the Compromise of 1850 and declared that the country’s western territories should remain “unencumbered, and free from the calamities and sorrows of human bondage.” A staunch Republican, Seward served as secretary of state for Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson (1861–69). In that role, he sought to increase U.S. engagement in global commerce and geographic expansion, particularly in the Caribbean and Pacific, and he convinced Congress to purchase Alaska from Russia in 1867.
In the late nineteenth century, Seward Square in the Southeast quadrant was known as Seward Place. However, in 1902, city officials introduced a bill to officially change the name to Seward Square, befitting naming conventions for such spaces.
Primero como gobernador de Nueva York (1839–43) y luego como senador (1849–61), William H. Seward fue un firme reformista. Se manifestó en contra del Compromiso de 1850 y declaró que los territorios occidentales del país debían permanecer “libres de las calamidades y aflicciones que engendra la servidumbre humana”. Republicano ferviente, Seward fue secretario de estado bajo los presidentes Abraham Lincoln y Andrew Johnson (1861–69). En dicho puesto procuró fomentar la participación de Estados Unidos en el comercio global y su expansión territorial, sobre todo en el Caribe y el Pacífico, y convenció al Congreso de comprar Alaska a Rusia en 1867.
A fines del siglo XIX, Seward Square, en el cuadrante sureste, se conocía como Seward Place. En 1902 los funcionarios de la ciudad presentaron un proyecto de ley para cambiar el nombre oficialmente a Seward Square, acorde con las normas de nomenclatura para tales espacios.
Data Source
National Portrait Gallery
Location
Currently not on view