Edward Thurlow Weed (November 15, 1797 – November 22, 1882) was a printer,
New York newspaper publisher, and
Whig and
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
politician. He was the principal political advisor to prominent New York politician
William H. Seward
William Henry Seward (May 16, 1801 – October 10, 1872) was an American politician who served as United States Secretary of State from 1861 to 1869, and earlier served as governor of New York and as a United States Senator. A determined oppon ...
and was instrumental in the presidential nominations of
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773April 4, 1841) was an American military officer and politician who served as the ninth president of the United States. Harrison died just 31 days after his inauguration in 1841, and had the shortest pres ...
(1840),
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850) was an American military leader who served as the 12th president of the United States from 1849 until his death in 1850. Taylor was a career officer in the United States Army, rising to th ...
(1848), and
John C. Frémont
John Charles Frémont or Fremont (January 21, 1813July 13, 1890) was an American explorer, military officer, and politician. He was a U.S. Senator from California and was the first Republican nominee for president of the United States in 1856 ...
(1856).
Born in
Cairo, New York, Weed apprenticed as a printer under
William Williams and served with him in the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
before winning election to the
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits.
The Assem ...
. He met Seward in the assembly, and they formed a close political alliance that lasted for several decades. Weed and Seward became leaders of the New York
Anti-Masonic Party
The Anti-Masonic Party was the earliest third party in the United States. Formally a single-issue party, it strongly opposed Freemasonry, but later aspired to become a major party by expanding its platform to take positions on other issues. After ...
, and Weed established the ''Albany Evening Journal'' as the party's main newspaper. Weed supported the
American System of
Henry Clay
Henry Clay Sr. (April 12, 1777June 29, 1852) was an American attorney and statesman who represented Kentucky in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. He was the seventh House speaker as well as the ninth secretary of state, al ...
and helped establish the
Whig Party in the 1830s. He helped Seward win election as
Governor of New York
The governor of New York is the head of government of the U.S. state of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has ...
and supported the successful presidential candidacies of Harrison and Taylor.
Weed led New York's Whigs for much of the 1830s and 1840s but abandoned the party following the passage of the
Kansas–Nebraska Act
The Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854 () was a territorial organic act that created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska. It was drafted by Democratic Senator Stephen A. Douglas, passed by the 33rd United States Congress, and signed into law by ...
. He helped organize the Republican Party and supported Frémont's nomination at the
1856 Republican National Convention. He led the effort to nominate Seward at the
1860 Republican National Convention, but the convention nominated
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
. After the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, Weed and Seward allied with President
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. He assumed the presidency as he was vice president at the time of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a Dem ...
and supported Johnson's approach to
Reconstruction
Reconstruction may refer to:
Politics, history, and sociology
*Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company
*'' Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Unio ...
. Weed retired from public life in 1867 and died in 1882.
Early life
Weed was born on November 15, 1797, in the hamlet of
Acra, part of the town of
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
in
Greene County, New York. His father, Joel Weed (1773-1819) and mother Mary (Ellis) Weed (1771-1841) were Connecticut natives who moved to New York to farm, and Weed was the eldest of five siblings, three brothers and two sisters. Neither of his sisters reached adulthood. His brother Orrin was apprenticed to a
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
shipbuilder,
Henry Eckford, and died in 1823 during a yellow fever epidemic. His brother Osborn moved to
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
, where he was a successful merchant and hotelier before he died in 1851. Weed was christened Edward Thurlow Weed, named for a presumed family connection to
Edward Thurlow, England's
Lord Chancellor
The lord chancellor, formally the lord high chancellor of Great Britain, is the highest-ranking traditional minister among the Great Officers of State in Scotland and England in the United Kingdom, nominally outranking the prime minister. The ...
. As a boy, Weed dropped his first name; as an adult, he attempted to document the family connection during a visit to England, but was unsuccessful.
Weed's father later moved the family to the village of
Catskill where he operated a business hauling freight by wagon from the Hudson River docks. Joel Weed's business suffered reverses because of his ill health, the sickness of his horses, accidents, and occasional non-payment by his customers, so his family struggled financially. Joel Weed was eventually sentenced to
debtors' prison
A debtors' prison is a prison for people who are unable to pay debt. Until the mid-19th century, debtors' prisons (usually similar in form to locked workhouses) were a common way to deal with unpaid debt in Western Europe.Cory, Lucinda"A Histori ...
, but friends and customers signed bonds on his behalf. These guarantees permitted him to take advantage of the ''freedom of the prison'', which allowed debtors to travel within permitted limits to earn money to satisfy their obligations, and to spend Sundays with their families. Thurlow Weed received about a year of formal education in Catskill before beginning to work so he could help support his family. At age eight, he was hired to operate a blacksmith's bellows for six cents a day. He later worked as an errand boy at a Catskill tavern and hotel, then at a print shop, after which he spent much of his youth working as a
cabin boy
''Cabin Boy'' is a 1994 American fantasy comedy film, directed by Adam Resnick and co-produced by Tim Burton, which starred comedian Chris Elliott. Elliott co-wrote the film with Resnick. Both Elliott and Resnick worked for '' Late Night with Dav ...
on boats that traveled the
Hudson River
The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...
.
In 1808, Joel Weed's family moved to
Cincinnatus, New York, where he worked as a woodcutter, maple syrup maker, and farm laborer with Thurlow's assistance. While living in Cincinnatus, Weed attended a local school for a brief period before the family moved again, this time to
Onondaga Onondaga may refer to:
Native American/First Nations
* Onondaga people, a Native American/First Nations people and one of the five founding nations of the Iroquois League
* Onondaga (village), Onondaga settlement and traditional Iroquois capita ...
. In both Cincinnatus and Onondaga, Weed worked to improve on his formal education by diligent self-study, sometimes walking several miles to visit neighbors who would allow him to borrow books. In Onondaga, Joel Weed earned a living by cutting wood for a
potash
Potash () includes various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water-soluble form. maker, again with his son's aid. Thurlow Weed later worked at an Onondaga iron forge, where his task was to
temper
Temper, tempered or tempering may refer to:
Heat treatment
* Tempering (metallurgy), a heat treatment technique to increase the toughness of iron-based alloys
** Temper mill, a steel processing line
* Tempering (spices), a cooking technique where ...
the sand used in
casting
Casting is a manufacturing process in which a liquid material is usually poured into a mold, which contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then allowed to solidify. The solidified part is also known as a ''casting'', which is ejected ...
and
molding. During a period when the forge was not in operation, Weed obtained a position as a groomsman and gardener for the
Onondaga County
Onondaga County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 476,516. The county seat is Syracuse.
Onondaga County is the core of the Syracuse, NY MSA.
History
The name ''Onondaga'' derives from ...
Clerk, which included his
room and board
Room and board is a phrase describing a situation in which, in exchange for money, Manual labour, labor or other considerations, a person is provided with a place to live as well as meals on a comprehensive basis. It commonly occurs as a fee at h ...
, as well as the promise of additional schooling. For several months, Weed was able to attend a private academy run by the Reverend Caleb Alexander. When the forge resumed operations, Weed returned to his position there.
Start of career
Printer
Weed learned in 1810 that Thomas Chittenden Fay intended to start a newspaper in Onondaga, the ''Lynx''. Having decided on a career in printing and publishing, Weed and his father convinced Fay to take Weed on as a second apprentice. His first tasks included cutting wood and stoking fires, as well as preparing the sheepskins used in making
ink ball
An ink ball, inking ball, or dabber was a tool used in printmaking and letterpress printing to apply ink to the plate or type to be printed.
Ink balls had been used since the dawn of the printing press in the 15th century. In printmaking, they w ...
s. Weed soon began to take on additional responsibilities, including building and maintaining files of newspapers with which the ''Lynx'' exchanged stories, which enabled Fay to develop a network of affiliated newspapers. In 1812, Fay left the newspaper after a dispute with his creditors; Weed printed a handful of issues to publish advertisements that had already been paid for, after which the ''Lynx'' became defunct. He then moved to
Scipio, where he worked briefly on another newspaper, the ''Tocsin'', before it too went out of business. Weed then returned to the forge in Onondaga, the owner of which had received a contract to produce
round shot
A round shot (also called solid shot or simply ball) is a solid spherical projectile without explosive charge, launched from a gun. Its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the barrel from which it is shot. A round shot fired from a la ...
iron
cannonball
A round shot (also called solid shot or simply ball) is a solid spherical projectile without explosive charge, launched from a gun. Its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the barrel from which it is shot. A round shot fired from a lar ...
s for use by U.S. forces during the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
. After earning enough money to resume searching for work as a printer, Weed traveled to
Utica, where he was employed in the printing shop of Seward & Williams.
Military service
In February 1813, Weed was working for and residing in the home of
William Williams in
Utica, New York
Utica () is a Administrative divisions of New York, city in the Mohawk Valley and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The List of cities in New York, tenth-most-populous city in New York State, its population was 65,283 ...
. During the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
, he joined a volunteer militia company that Williams commanded as a
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
, which responded to threat of a British invasion from Canada, and briefly served near
Sackets Harbor
Sackets Harbor (earlier spelled Sacketts Harbor) is a village in Jefferson County, New York, United States, on Lake Ontario. The population was 1,450 at the 2010 census. The village was named after land developer and owner Augustus Sackett, who ...
. The alarm soon passed, and Weed returned to Utica, where he began work on the ''Columbian Gazette'', a newspaper published by Thomas Walker. When the militia again called for recruits to respond to the threat of an invasion from Canada, Weed obtained Walker's permission to go, and joined a company in the regiment commanded by Elijah H. Metcalf, which performed duty in and around Sackets Harbor.
When the second alarm passed in October 1813, Weed returned to Utica. He soon left for
Albany, where he was employed at Webster & Skinner, book publishers and publishers of the ''Albany Gazette''. When his work in Albany ended, Weed lived briefly in
Herkimer, then moved to
Cooperstown
Cooperstown is a village in and county seat of Otsego County, New York, United States. Most of the village lies within the town of Otsego, but some of the eastern part is in the town of Middlefield. Located at the foot of Otsego Lake in the C ...
, where he continued to work as a printer. After several months in Cooperstown, he returned to Herkimer to take charge of his former employer's business while the owner traveled to Connecticut to attend a political convention.
In October 1814, Weed again joined the militia and was appointed quartermaster sergeant of the 40th Regiment of the New York State Militia under quartermaster officer
George Petrie. Weed's regiment performed duty in Sackets Harbor, and twice successfully paraded to dissuade British commanders on
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border sp ...
from landing troops. In January 1815, Weed's regiment was mustered out of the service and he returned to Utica.
Arrest and trial
While residing in Cooperstown in July 1814, Weed was one of five men arrested the day after a Sunday evening Methodist religious service and accused of harassing several women who had departed the village by wagon after leaving the church. Newspaper publisher Israel W. Clark posted a bond to secure Weed's release, while attorney
Ambrose L. Jordan volunteered to act as his counsel. Unbeknownst to Weed, Catherine Ostrander, the daughter of the owners of the Cooperstown rooming house where Weed had been staying, had arranged for his bail and legal representation.
The trial was postponed several times because of events surrounding the war, and took place in early 1815. District attorney Charles P. Kirkland decided to try Weed first, separately from the other defendants. Three of the girls who had been in the wagon denied seeing Weed after the church service. The fourth was Catherine Ostrander, who testified that after leaving the church, she had walked through the village with Weed until they reached the road that led to her home, where she boarded the wagon, after which she had not seen Weed again that night. Jordan opted not to call any witnesses, while Kirkland apologized for not having investigated the story of the initial complainant more fully and offered to dismiss the case. The judge told Jordan he would dismiss the case unless Weed preferred that the jury decide. Wanting his innocence on the record, Weed opted for a jury verdict, and the jurors immediately acquitted him, not even rising from their seats to leave the courtroom for deliberations. The charges against the other defendants were soon dismissed. Weed included the details of his arrest and trial in his autobiography because his political opponents had previously attempted to use it against him. (Weed and Ostrander married in 1818.)
Continued printing career
![Thurlow Weed, engraved portrait](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Thurlow_Weed%2C_engraved_portrait.jpg)
After Weed's trial, he again enlisted in the militia, but when news of the passage of the
Treaty of Ghent
The Treaty of Ghent () was the peace treaty that ended the War of 1812 between the United States and the United Kingdom. It took effect in February 1815. Both sides signed it on December 24, 1814, in the city of Ghent, United Netherlands (now in ...
that ended the War of 1812 made its way to central New York, Weed's militia company was disbanded. He then traveled to
Albany, where he obtained employment running the printing presses for the ''Albany Register'', which was published by Henry C. Southwick and edited by his brother
Solomon Southwick
Solomon Southwick (December 25, 1773 – November 18, 1839) was an American newspaper publisher and political figure who was a principal organizer of the Anti-Masonic Party.
Born in Newport, Rhode Island, Southwick attended the University of Pe ...
. In 1816, Weed moved to the ''Albany Argus'', published by
Jesse Buel
Jesse Buel (January 4, 1778 – October 6, 1839) was an American newspaper publisher, politician, and agricultural reformer.
Early life
Jesse Buel was born on a farm in Coventry, Connecticut, the youngest of 14 children. At the age of 12 he ...
, whose lucrative appointment as state printer required him to publish state reports, legislative manuals, and legal notices. The additional responsibility Buel delegated to Weed enabled Weed to more than double his salary, and also kindled an interest in politics, since Weed had to set type for or proofread state documents. Weed began attending sessions of the state legislature, and was an early supporter of
DeWitt Clinton
DeWitt Clinton (March 2, 1769February 11, 1828) was an American politician and naturalist. He served as a United States senator, as the mayor of New York City, and as the seventh governor of New York. In this last capacity, he was largely res ...
.
In early 1817, Weed took advantage of a lull in state printing to travel to New York City, where he obtained employment with the Winkle and Wiley book publishing firm. He then moved to a position with the ''
Political Register
The ''Cobbett's Weekly Political Register'', commonly known as the ''Political Register'', was a weekly London-based newspaper founded by William Cobbett in 1802. It ceased publication in 1836, the year after Cobbett's death.
History
Originally ...
'', which was published by
William Cobbett
William Cobbett (9 March 1763 – 18 June 1835) was an English pamphleteer, journalist, politician, and farmer born in Farnham, Surrey. He was one of an agrarian faction seeking to reform Parliament, abolish "rotten boroughs", restrain foreign ...
after Cobbett fled England to avoid prosecution for sedition. After leaving Cobbett, Weed worked for several other publishers in New York City, including Jonathan Seymour,
James Harper, and William A. Mercien. During his hours away from work, Weed attended the theater frequently and continued to observe political meetings.
In mid-1817, Israel W. Clark, a Cooperstown newspaper editor, purchased the ''Albany Register'' from Henry C. Southwick and offered Weed the job of press foreman, so Weed returned to Albany. In addition to running the presses, Weed began to try his hand at composing editorials on the political topics of the day; under Clark's tutelage, he worked to improve his grammar, spelling, and writing style. Over time, he became adept at composing editorials and articles as he set them in type, rather than first preparing a manuscript, which gave him a competitive advantage by enabling him to publish them more quickly than could rival editors.
In 1818, a group of pro-DeWitt Clinton Democratic-Republican political figures purchased the
Norwich
Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...
newspaper and publishing business of
John F. Hubbard
John F. Hubbard (February 15, 1795 – October 5, 1876) was an American newspaper editor and politician from New York (state), New York.
Life
From 1816 on, he published the ''Norwich Journal''. In February 1820, he married Almira Mead (1800-1878; ...
. This group, which included
James Birdsall
James Birdsall (1783 – July 20, 1856) was an American politician and a U.S. Representative from New York.
Biography
Born in 1783 in New York State, Birdsall studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1806. He married Rizpah Steere, and they ...
and
Obadiah German
Obadiah German (April 22, 1766September 24, 1842) was an American lawyer and politician. He was most notable for his service as a U.S. Senator from New York (1809-1815) and Speaker of the New York State Assembly in 1819.
Life
He was born on Apri ...
, then sold the works to Weed, who moved to Norwich to publish the ''Agriculturist''. Hubbard was later convinced to start a rival paper opposed to Clinton, the ''Norwich Journal''. While living in Norwich, Weed also received a state appointment as commissioner to acknowledge the transfer of deeds and other sale documents, and the two to three dollars in fees he received each month enabled him to continue the ''Agriculturist'' during the earliest days of its existence.
Weed recognized in 1820 that Norwich was not able to support two newspapers, and that the anti-DeWitt Clinton faction of New York's Democratic-Republican Party was in the ascendancy, so he sold his publishing works that December and returned to Albany. Weed found employment at the ''Albany Argus'' working on documents produced as part of the state printing contract, but when the state printers, Leake &
Cantine, discovered that Weed was a Clinton supporter, they discharged him. He then accepted a job with
Solomon Southwick
Solomon Southwick (December 25, 1773 – November 18, 1839) was an American newspaper publisher and political figure who was a principal organizer of the Anti-Masonic Party.
Born in Newport, Rhode Island, Southwick attended the University of Pe ...
as a subscription salesman for Southwick's publications, the ''Ploughboy'' and the ''Christian Visitant''. Weed traveled throughout central and western New York on Southwick's behalf in the spring of 1821, but found few new readers willing to sign up to receive Southwick's papers. Discovering that the Federalist-leaning ''
Manlius
The gens Manlia () was one of the oldest and noblest patrician houses at Rome, from the earliest days of the Republic until imperial times. The first of the gens to obtain the consulship was Gnaeus Manlius Cincinnatus, consul in 480 BC, and for ...
Times'' had gone out of business years previously and its printing press was idle, in June Weed purchased the equipment on credit and began publication of the ''Onondaga Republican''.
While living in Manlius, Weed established a close friendship with
Addison Gardiner
Addison Gardiner (March 19, 1797 – June 5, 1883) was an American lawyer and politician who served as Lieutenant governor of New York from 1845 to 1847 and Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from 1854 to 1855.
Early life and career
...
. Gardiner moved to
Rochester
Rochester may refer to:
Places Australia
* Rochester, Victoria
Canada
* Rochester, Alberta
United Kingdom
*Rochester, Kent
** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area
** History of Rochester, Kent
** HM Prison ...
after attaining admission to the bar in 1822, and suggested to Weed that his prospects might be better there than in Manlius. Weed decided to relocate again, and closed down the ''Republican''. Upon arriving in Rochester, he obtained employment with Everard Peck, the editor of the ''Telegraph'', the city's pro-DeWitt Clinton newspaper, who decided to publish a long-delayed book as a way to provide Weed with temporary employment. Immediately impressed with Weed's talents, Peck hired him to run the day-to-day operations of the ''Telegraph''. In addition to managing the paper during the day, Weed composed its editorial content at night, and soon established the Telegraph as an important pro-Clinton outlet in central and western New York.
In 1843, Weed, his son James, and John D. Parsons co-founded Albany's Weed, Parsons & Company, which became a successful book publisher.
Start of political career
In 1824, Weed was a strong backer of the
presidential bid of
John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams (; July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, and diarist who served as the sixth president of the United States, from 1825 to 1829. He previously served as the eighth United States S ...
; the ''Rochester Telegraph'' announced its support in early 1823, and carried his name on the masthead throughout 1823 and 1824. Appointed by Rochester's business leaders as their agent for obtaining a charter for a Rochester-based bank, Weed attended all three sessions of the legislature in 1824, and succeeded in obtaining approval for the Bank of Rochester. Nominated by Monroe County's Adams supporters, Weed was a candidate for the
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits.
The Assem ...
. He won his race by a significant margin and represented
Monroe County Monroe County may refer to seventeen counties in the United States, all named for James Monroe:
* Monroe County, Alabama
*Monroe County, Arkansas
* Monroe County, Florida
* Monroe County, Georgia
*Monroe County, Illinois
*Monroe County, Indian ...
in 1825's
48th New York State Legislature. While serving in the Assembly, he befriended
William H. Seward
William Henry Seward (May 16, 1801 – October 10, 1872) was an American politician who served as United States Secretary of State from 1861 to 1869, and earlier served as governor of New York and as a United States Senator. A determined oppon ...
, whose legal and political careers were just beginning.
In 1825, Weed bought the ''
Rochester
Rochester may refer to:
Places Australia
* Rochester, Victoria
Canada
* Rochester, Alberta
United Kingdom
*Rochester, Kent
** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area
** History of Rochester, Kent
** HM Prison ...
'' ''Telegraph''. During 1827, he became involved in the controversy surrounding the disappearance of
William Morgan, a former Mason who had threatened to publish a book revealing the secrets of Masonic rituals and degree ceremonies. Weed recognized an opportunity to harness sentiment against the Masons and use it to oppose the policies of Democrat
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...
at the national level, and the
Albany Regency
The Albany Regency was a group of politicians who controlled the New York state government between 1822 and 1838. Originally called the "Holy Alliance", it was instituted by Martin Van Buren, who remained its dominating spirit for many years. The ...
of
Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren ( ; nl, Maarten van Buren; ; December 5, 1782 – July 24, 1862) was an American lawyer and statesman who served as the eighth president of the United States from 1837 to 1841. A primary founder of the Democratic Party (Uni ...
at the state level. He was an organizer of the
Anti-Masonic Party
The Anti-Masonic Party was the earliest third party in the United States. Formally a single-issue party, it strongly opposed Freemasonry, but later aspired to become a major party by expanding its platform to take positions on other issues. After ...
, and used the pages of the ''Telegraph'' to keep Morgan's disappearance in the news. Morgan was presumed to have been carried away by Masons and drowned in the
Niagara River
The Niagara River () is a river that flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the province of Ontario in Canada (on the west) and the state of New York (state), New York in the United States (on the east) ...
. When a body washed ashore in September 1827, many Upstate New York residents assumed it was Morgan's. Though it was positively identified as Canadian Timothy Munro (or Munroe) by his wife, many Anti-Masons persisted in believing it was Morgan's. Weed was alleged to have said the body was a "good enough Morgan" to stoke the controversy until after the upcoming election, a remark Weed denied making. Though the party's 1828 candidate for
governor of New York
The governor of New York is the head of government of the U.S. state of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has ...
,
Solomon Southwick
Solomon Southwick (December 25, 1773 – November 18, 1839) was an American newspaper publisher and political figure who was a principal organizer of the Anti-Masonic Party.
Born in Newport, Rhode Island, Southwick attended the University of Pe ...
, was defeated, Weed and other organizers succeeded in making it the main opposition to the Democratic Party, and experienced electoral success in several northern states, including Vermont and Pennsylvania.
In 1828, Masons succeeded in forcing Weed out of the ''Telegraph''. In 1829, he was again elected to the Assembly from Monroe County, this time as an Anti-Mason. He served a one-year term in 1830, which included the sessions of the
53rd New York State Legislature. He also started the ''Albany Evening Journal''. The ''Evening Journal'' became the largest Anti-Masonic newspaper; Weed was editor, chief reporter, proofreader, and political expert.
In
1832, Weed supported Adams's ally
Henry Clay
Henry Clay Sr. (April 12, 1777June 29, 1852) was an American attorney and statesman who represented Kentucky in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. He was the seventh House speaker as well as the ninth secretary of state, al ...
, who ran for president as the candidate of the
National Republican Party
The National Republican Party, also known as the Anti-Jacksonian Party or simply Republicans, was a political party in the United States that evolved from a conservative-leaning faction of the Democratic-Republican Party that supported John Qu ...
. He was a strong advocate of Clay's
"American System" for economic development, including a national bank, "internal improvements" such as roads and railroads, and a protective tariff.
By 1834, the Adams-Clay organization that had been the National Republicans was forming into the
Whig Party. Most Anti-Masons joined the Whigs, regarding the new party as the best alternative to Jackson and Van Buren, and enabling Weed to assume a leadership role in a larger and more orthodox political organization. His ''Evening Journal'' became the main Whig newspaper, and by the 1840s it had the largest circulation of any political newspaper in the United States.
Weed and other Whigs worked to blame Van Buren and the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
for the
Panic of 1837. In 1838, he was one of William H. Seward's main supporters in Seward's successful campaign for governor, and was largely credited with Seward's victory. Weed was also a main supporter of
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773April 4, 1841) was an American military officer and politician who served as the ninth president of the United States. Harrison died just 31 days after his inauguration in 1841, and had the shortest pres ...
's successful presidential bid in 1840, in which Harrison defeated Van Buren to become the first Whig president.
In the 1830s and 1840s, Weed became active in the abolitionist movement. When former slave
Stephen Myers of Albany began creation of a transportation network and system of safe houses for escaping slaves, Weed was among the prominent individuals to whom he turned for financing. In addition, Weed and his wife made their own home available to fleeing slaves as part of the
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. T ...
.
Political organizer
Weed was generally seen as the "
boss
Boss may refer to:
Occupations
* Supervisor, often referred to as boss
* Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier
* Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization
* Fire boss, ...
" of New York's Whig Party, using the same tactics as the Regency—patronage and political favors—to attract supporters and keep order in the ranks, efforts he was able to reinforce through the ''Evening Journal''. Under Weed's leadership, the Whigs became the dominant force in state politics for several years, and Weed was arguably the most powerful politician in New York.
As a practical politician, Weed was a pragmatist, rather than an idealist, always taking care to avoid controversial issues and positions that would decrease Whig support on election day. One exception was the issue of
slavery
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
, a subject on which Weed made public statements in opposition while trying to avoid the most radical language of those seen as uncompromising
abolitionists
Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people.
The Britis ...
.
Harrison died in April 1841, only a month after taking office, and was succeeded by
John Tyler
John Tyler (March 29, 1790 – January 18, 1862) was the tenth president of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president dire ...
, a former Democrat, who disappointed Weed by abandoning Whig policies. Weed backed Clay
in 1844, but his frustration continued when Clay was narrowly defeated. Following the
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
,
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850) was an American military leader who served as the 12th president of the United States from 1849 until his death in 1850. Taylor was a career officer in the United States Army, rising to th ...
emerged as a likely Whig candidate for president, and Weed supported his successful effort. But Taylor, like Harrison, died in office.
Weed played a leading role in the passage of New York's Consolidation Act, which created the
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The railroad primarily connected greater New York and Boston in the east with Chicago and St. Louis in the Midw ...
, at the time the largest corporation in the United States. Weed's role was noteworthy in that he worked for approval of the Consolidation Act largely as a favor to his friend
Erastus Corning
Erastus Corning (December 14, 1794 – April 9, 1872) was an American businessman and politician from Albany, New York. A Democrat, he was most notable for his service as mayor of Albany from 1834 to 1837, in the New York State Senate from 1842 ...
, one of the financial backers of the project, though Corning was a Democrat and opposed to Weed politically.
Weed used his political influence to effect improvements and reforms in New York City. In 1847, he was largely responsible for the designation of
Castle Garden
Castle Clinton (also known as Fort Clinton and Castle Garden) is a circular sandstone fort within Battery Park at the southern end of Manhattan in New York City. Built from 1808 to 1811, it was the first American immigration station, predating ...
as the main depot for arriving immigrants and the passage of laws to protect them as they entered the United States. His efforts in the mid-1850s led to the creation of the
New York Harbor Commission, a state panel that sought to improve commerce by recommending enhancements to New York City's waterways. When construction of
Central Park
Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West Side, Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the List of New York City parks, fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban par ...
commenced in 1855, Weed played a major role in the selection of the first park commission. As movements for
prison reform
Prison reform is the attempt to improve conditions inside prisons, improve the effectiveness of a penal system, or implement alternatives to incarceration. It also focuses on ensuring the reinstatement of those whose lives are impacted by crimes. ...
and reform of charitable services provided by government grew in the mid-19th Century, Weed was largely responsible for the appointment of a non-partisan Board of Charities and Correction for New York City. Weed also influenced efforts to reform the New York City Police Department, including creation of the
Board of Police Commissioners.
1852 campaign
In 1852, the leading Whig candidates for president were incumbent
Millard Fillmore
Millard Fillmore (January 7, 1800March 8, 1874) was the 13th president of the United States, serving from 1850 to 1853; he was the last to be a member of the Whig Party while in the White House. A former member of the U.S. House of Represen ...
, Secretary of State
Daniel Webster
Daniel Webster (January 18, 1782 – October 24, 1852) was an American lawyer and statesman who represented New Hampshire and Massachusetts in the U.S. Congress and served as the U.S. Secretary of State under Presidents William Henry Harrison, ...
, and General
Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott (June 13, 1786May 29, 1866) was an American military commander and political candidate. He served as a general in the United States Army from 1814 to 1861, taking part in the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War, the early s ...
. Fillmore, a former Weed protégé, had succeeded to the presidency after the death of
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850) was an American military leader who served as the 12th president of the United States from 1849 until his death in 1850. Taylor was a career officer in the United States Army, rising to th ...
and rejected Weed's influence. As a result, Weed refused to support him for election to a full term and instead backed Scott. Seward, long a Fillmore rival, also decided to back Scott. Weed concluded during the campaign that support for the unpopular
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was a package of five separate bills passed by the United States Congress in September 1850 that defused a political confrontation between slave and free states on the status of territories acquired in the Mexican–Ame ...
meant the Whig Party was on the verge of disintegrating and destined to lose, so he ensured he would not be blamed by taking an extended trip to Europe, visiting
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, and
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
among other places. He remained abroad for over a year—well after the November 1852 election, which was won by Democrat
Franklin Pierce
Franklin Pierce (November 23, 1804October 8, 1869) was the 14th president of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. He was a northern Democrat who believed that the abolitionist movement was a fundamental threat to the nation's unity ...
.
Republican Party leader
Founder
When Weed returned to the United States, the Whig Party had splintered over the
Kansas–Nebraska Act
The Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854 () was a territorial organic act that created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska. It was drafted by Democratic Senator Stephen A. Douglas, passed by the 33rd United States Congress, and signed into law by ...
, with southern Whigs leaving the party to join the Democrats, and northern Whigs including Seward, forming the
Republican Party as an anti-slavery party and the main opposition to the Democrats. Weed joined the Republicans, and the ''Evening Journal'' became a leading Republican newspaper. Weed supported Seward's re-election to the Senate in 1854, and the Republican presidential nomination of
John C. Frémont
John Charles Frémont or Fremont (January 21, 1813July 13, 1890) was an American explorer, military officer, and politician. He was a U.S. Senator from California and was the first Republican nominee for president of the United States in 1856 ...
in 1856. Frémont narrowly lost the
1856 election to Democrat
James Buchanan
James Buchanan Jr. ( ; April 23, 1791June 1, 1868) was an American lawyer, diplomat and politician who served as the 15th president of the United States from 1857 to 1861. He previously served as secretary of state from 1845 to 1849 and repr ...
.
1860 election
Buchanan's failed administration and the fracturing of the Democrats over the slavery issue made likely a Republican victory
in 1860. Weed worked for Seward's nomination at the
1860 Republican National Convention, which appeared to most observers to be a foregone conclusion. But Seward's strong anti-slavery views and reputation as a Whig political boss offended many former Democrats in the still new Republican party.
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
's managers exploited these vulnerabilities to obtain Lincoln's nomination. Though disappointed, Weed and Seward both supported Lincoln in the general election. Lincoln won the election handily, defeating
John C. Breckinridge
John Cabell Breckinridge (January 16, 1821 – May 17, 1875) was an American lawyer, politician, and soldier. He represented Kentucky in both houses of Congress and became the 14th and youngest-ever vice president of the United States. Serving ...
,
John Bell, and
Stephen A. Douglas
Stephen Arnold Douglas (April 23, 1813 – June 3, 1861) was an American politician and lawyer from Illinois. A senator, he was one of two nominees of the badly split Democratic Party for president in the 1860 presidential election, which wa ...
.
Civil War
After Lincoln's inauguration, Seward became
Secretary of State. Weed became an unofficial envoy and political advisor, with both Seward and Weed providing critical support to Lincoln and the
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
.
In 1861, Weed traveled to
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
with
Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott (June 13, 1786May 29, 1866) was an American military commander and political candidate. He served as a general in the United States Army from 1814 to 1861, taking part in the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War, the early s ...
, where they aided American consul
John Bigelow
John Bigelow Sr. (November 25, 1817 – December 19, 1911) was an American lawyer, statesman, and historian who edited the complete works of Benjamin Franklin and the first autobiography of Franklin taken from Franklin's previously lost origina ...
in defusing the
Trent Affair
The ''Trent'' Affair was a International incident, diplomatic incident in 1861 during the American Civil War that threatened a war between the United States and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Great Britain. The United States Navy, ...
, a diplomatic incident with Britain. Later that year, Weed visited Europe with Archbishop
John Hughes, and they worked to influence government and public opinion in England and France in favor of the Union.
In December 1862, Lincoln asked Weed to convey a message to Governor
Horatio Seymour
Horatio Seymour (May 31, 1810February 12, 1886) was an American politician. He served as Governor of New York from 1853 to 1854 and from 1863 to 1864. He was the Democratic Party nominee for president in the 1868 United States presidential elec ...
of New York, a "
Peace Democrat
In the 1860s, the Copperheads, also known as Peace Democrats, were a faction of Democrats in the Union who opposed the American Civil War and wanted an immediate peace settlement with the Confederates.
Republicans started calling anti-war D ...
", promising to make way for Seymour's succession to the presidency if Seymour would persuade other Peace Democrats to support restoration of the Union. Weed delivered the message, but Seymour took the path of most other Peace Democrats, supporting the Union but remaining critical of what they viewed as the excesses of Lincoln's administration.
In February 1863, Weed undertook a special mission for Lincoln when Lincoln asked him to secretly raise $15,000 (about $390,000 in 2020) for an unspecified purpose. Weed was in New York City when he received a telegram asking him to be in Washington the following morning. When they met the next day, Lincoln explained that there was urgent need for the money and that it could not be taken from any available government appropriations. Weed raised the cash, but Lincoln never explained why he needed it or how it was used.
Weed was critical of Lincoln's decision to issue the
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation, officially Proclamation 95, was a presidential proclamation and executive order issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the Civil War. The Proclamation changed the legal sta ...
, regarding it as too radical and controversial and unsuccessfully arguing for a system of gradual emancipation. In early 1863, he retired as editor of the ''Evening Journal'' because he disagreed with the Radical Republican view on prosecuting the war and post-war
Reconstruction
Reconstruction may refer to:
Politics, history, and sociology
*Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company
*'' Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Unio ...
, but as a loyal Republican did not want to make this disagreement public. Weed publicly announced his retirement from the printing and publishing business on January 27, 1863. In the ensuing days his "valedictory address" was printed in full in several newspapers.
Federal patronage in New York caused Lincoln difficulty as Weed and his opponents vied for control of government appointments. In 1864, Lincoln appeased Weed by blocking Secretary of the Treasury
Salmon P. Chase
Salmon Portland Chase (January 13, 1808May 7, 1873) was an American politician and jurist who served as the sixth chief justice of the United States. He also served as the 23rd governor of Ohio, represented Ohio in the United States Senate, a ...
's choice for a new assistant secretary in charge of the New York sub-treasury, which led to Chase's resignation. Lincoln then ensured he would have Weed's support in the
1864 election by dismissing
Hiram Barney
Hiram Barney (May 30, 1811 – May 18, 1895) was an American lawyer, abolitionist, and politician who served as Collector of the Port of New York from 1861 ''-'' 1864 during the presidency of Abraham Lincoln.
Early life
Barney was born in Hender ...
, a
Radical Republican
The Radical Republicans (later also known as "Stalwarts") were a faction within the Republican Party, originating from the party's founding in 1854, some 6 years before the Civil War, until the Compromise of 1877, which effectively ended Recon ...
, as
Collector of the Port of New York
The Collector of Customs at the Port of New York, most often referred to as Collector of the Port of New York, was a federal officer who was in charge of the collection of import duties on foreign goods that entered the United States by ship at t ...
, and replacing him with
Simeon Draper
Simeon Draper (January 19, 1806 - November 6, 1866) was a prominent merchant and politician in New York City. During the American Civil War, he was the federal government's agent for receiving captured cotton from the Confederate States of Americ ...
, a Weed ally.
After Lincoln's death and the end of the war, Weed and Seward allied with President
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. He assumed the presidency as he was vice president at the time of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a Dem ...
against the Radical Republicans. Both endorsed Johnson's more conservative approach to Reconstruction and Seward continued as Secretary of State under Johnson.
Retirement
![Thurlow Weed, standing3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/Thurlow_Weed%2C_standing3.jpg)
In 1867 Weed retired from public life and moved from Albany to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. He briefly owned and edited a newspaper, the ''
Commercial Advertiser
The ''New-York Commercial Advertiser'' was an American evening newspaper. It originated as the ''American Minerva'' in 1793, changed its name in 1797, and was published, with slight name variations, until 1904.
History
The paper had its origins ...
'', and remained peripherally engaged in politics, but did not exert the same level of influence that he had had in the past. Weed offered public support to the presidential administration of
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...
. He also engaged in a public feud with
Mary Todd Lincoln
Mary Ann Todd Lincoln (December 13, 1818July 16, 1882) served as First Lady of the United States from 1861 until the assassination of her husband, President Abraham Lincoln in 1865.
Mary Lincoln was a member of a large and wealthy, slave-owning ...
, who criticized him for opposing efforts to provide her federal financial aid after Lincoln's assassination.
During his later years, Weed wrote frequent letters to authors who sought information on New York's history, especially details on the growth of towns where Weed had lived as a young man. He also resumed work on an autobiography which he had begun in the 1840s, and which was published by his daughter Harriet in 1883. Weed's grandson Thurlow Weed Barnes also published a biography, 1884's ''Life of Thurlow Weed''.
Death and burial
Weed became ill in his final months and suffered from blindness and vertigo. He died in New York City on November 22, 1882. His funeral took place at Manhattan's
First Presbyterian Church. Pallbearers included
James Watson Webb
General James Watson Webb (February 8, 1802 – June 7, 1884) was a United States diplomat, newspaper publisher and a New York politician in the Whig and Republican parties.
Early life
Webb was born in Claverack, New York to Catherine Louisa ...
,
Hamilton Fish
Hamilton Fish (August 3, 1808September 7, 1893) was an American politician who served as the 16th Governor of New York from 1849 to 1850, a United States Senator from New York from 1851 to 1857 and the 26th United States Secretary of State ...
,
Frederick W. Seward
Frederick William Seward (July 8, 1830 – April 25, 1915) was an American politician and member of the Republican Party who twice served as the Assistant Secretary of State. The son of United States Secretary of State William H. Seward, ...
,
John McKeon
John McKeon (March 29, 1808, Albany, New York – November 22, 1883, New York City) was an American lawyer and politician from New York. From 1835 to 1837, and 1841 to 1843, he served two non-consecutive terms in the U.S. House of Representativ ...
, and
James Bowen. Attendees included
James G. Blaine,
William M. Evarts
William Maxwell Evarts (February 6, 1818February 28, 1901) was an American lawyer and statesman from New York who served as U.S. Secretary of State, U.S. Attorney General and U.S. Senator from New York. He was renowned for his skills as a li ...
,
Edwin D. Morgan
Edwin Denison Morgan (February 8, 1811February 14, 1883) was the 21st governor of New York from 1859 to 1862 and served in the United States Senate from 1863 to 1869. He was the first and longest-serving chairman of the Republican National Comm ...
,
Edwards Pierrepont
Edwards Pierrepont (March 4, 1817 – March 6, 1892) was an American attorney, reformer, jurist, traveler, New York U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney General, U.S. Minister to England, and orator.''West's Encyclopedia of American Law'' (2005), "Pierre ...
,
Hamilton Fish II
Hamilton Fish II (April 17, 1849 – January 15, 1936) was an American lawyer and politician who served as Speaker of the New York State Assembly and a member of the United States House of Representatives.
Early life
Fish was born in Albany, N ...
,
Frederick A. Conkling, and many other current and former office holders and newspaper publishers. Weed was buried at
Albany Rural Cemetery
The Albany Rural Cemetery was established October 7, 1844, in Colonie, New York, United States, just outside the city of Albany, New York. It is renowned as one of the most beautiful, pastoral cemeteries in the U.S., at over . Many historical A ...
.
Family
On April 26, 1818, Weed married Catherine Ostrander (1798-1858) of Cooperstown. They had agreed to marry in 1814, but acceded to the wishes of her parents that they wait until they were older and Weed was more established in his profession. Their children included: James Birdsall (1820-1851), who worked with his father in the publishing business; Harriet Ann (1819-1893), who never married and acted as her father's secretary; Emily (1827-1889), the wife of
William Barnes Sr.
William Barnes Sr. (May 25, 1824 – February 22, 1913) was an American attorney, author and government official from Albany, New York. He was an anti-slavery activist and a founder of the Republican Party. Barnes served as New York's first st ...
; and Maria (1823-1896), who married Ogden M. Alden.
Weed's grandson
William Barnes Jr.
William Barnes Jr. (November 17, 1866 – June 25, 1930) was an American journalist and politician. The longtime owner and publisher of the ''Albany Evening Journal'', Barnes was most notable as a major behind the scenes player in state and ...
owned and published the ''Albany Evening Journal''. He was also a longtime leader of New York's Republican Party. Weed's granddaughter
Catharine Weed Barnes
Catharine Weed Barnes (January 10, 1851 – July 31, 1913)
was an early American photographer who later lived in England. She was a strong supporter of women photographers.
Early life and education
Catharine Weed Barnes was born in Albany, Ne ...
was a well-known photographer.
In addition to authoring ''Life of Thurlow Weed'', grandson Thurlow Weed Barnes (1853-1918) was a publishing executive at
Houghton, Mifflin & Co. He also pursued business interests in China as operator of the railroad between
Hankou
Hankou, alternately romanized as Hankow (), was one of the three towns (the other two were Wuchang and Hanyang) merged to become modern-day Wuhan city, the capital of the Hubei province, China. It stands north of the Han and Yangtze Rivers wher ...
and ports in the province of
Shandong
Shandong ( , ; ; alternately romanized as Shantung) is a coastal province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the East China region.
Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilizati ...
.
Photos
References
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External links
Thurlow Weed Miscellaneous Manuscripts,1818-1882New-York Historical Society
The New-York Historical Society is an American history museum and library in New York City, along Central Park West between 76th and 77th Streets, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The society was founded in 1804 as New York's first museum. ...
Mr. Lincoln and New York: Thurlow WeedMr. Lincoln's White House: Thurlow WeedThurlow Weed Papersat the
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester (U of R, UR, or U of Rochester) is a private research university in Rochester, New York. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees.
The University of Roc ...
*
portraitby Napoleon Sarony
{{DEFAULTSORT:Weed, Thurlow
1797 births
1882 deaths
People from Cairo, New York
Politicians from Albany, New York
American militiamen in the War of 1812
New York (state) Democratic-Republicans
Anti-Masonic Party politicians from New York (state)
New York (state) Whigs
New York (state) Republicans
Underground Railroad people
People of New York (state) in the American Civil War
Members of the New York State Assembly
American political bosses from New York (state)
19th-century American politicians
19th-century American newspaper founders
19th-century American newspaper editors
Burials at Albany Rural Cemetery