NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Austin Blair

Austin Blair (February 8, 1818 – August 6, 1894), also known as the Civil War Governor, was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. He was known as a strong opponent of slavery and secession and he also championed human rights by leading the effort to ban capital punishment and supporting efforts to give women and black citizens the right to vote. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Michigan Governors Territorial Governors State Governors From statehood until the election of 1966, governors were elected to two-year terms. ... is the 2nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1861 (MDCCCLXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link with display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar) // January 1 - Benito JuÃ¡rez captures Mexico City January 2 - Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia dies and is succeeded by... January 5 is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... The Lieutenant Governor of Michigan is the second-ranking executive officer in the U.S. state of Michigan, behind the governor. ... James M. Birney (June 17, 1817-1888) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. ... Joesph R. Williams was the first president of the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, now Michigan State University. ... Moses Wisner (June 3, 1815–January 5, 1863) was a politician and soldier from the U.S. state of Michigan. ... Henry Howland Crapo (May 24, 1804â€“July 23, 1869) was born to Jesse and Phoebe Crapo in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. ... is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1818 (MDCCCXVIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar. ... Caroline is a town located in Tompkins County, New York, located apporximatly 7 miles southeast of Ithaca, along New York Route 79. ... is the 218th day of the year (219th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1894 (MDCCCXCIV) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Nickname: Location of Jackson within Jackson County, Michigan Country United States State Michigan County Jackson Government - Mayor Jerry Ludwig Area - City 11. ... The Republican Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States of America, along with the Democratic Party. ... is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1818 (MDCCCXVIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar. ... is the 218th day of the year (219th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1894 (MDCCCXCIV) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box: A politician is an individual who is a formally recognized and active member of a government, or a person who influences the way a society is governed through an understanding of political power and group dynamics. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas Politics Portal A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Area Ranked 11th - Total 97,990 sq mi (253,793 kmÂ²) - Width 239 miles (385 km) - Length 491 miles (790 km) - % water 41. ... Slave redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ... Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is the execution of a convicted criminal by the state as punishment for crimes known as capital crimes or capital offences. ...

Early life in New York

Blair was born in Caroline, New York, in a log cabin built by his father George Blair of Scottish ancestry. It was reportedly the first cabin in Tompkins County, New York and Blair lived there until age 17, helping his father farm the land. He attended the common schools, Cazenovia Seminary and Hamilton College, before transferring to Union College in the middle of his junior year, graduating in 1839. Blair studied law in Oswego, New York and was admitted to the bar in Tioga County, New York in 1841. He moved to Michigan in that year, residing first in Jackson before moving to Eaton Rapids. Caroline is a town located in Tompkins County, New York, located apporximatly 7 miles southeast of Ithaca, along New York Route 79. ... For the political organization that supports the United States Republican Party, see Log Cabin Republican. ... Scottish Americans or Scots Americans are citizens of the United States whose ancestry originates in the northwest European nation of Scotland. ... Cabin may refer to: Cabin (housing), A small, roughly built house usually with a wood exterior and typically found in rural areas. ... Tompkins County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, and comprises the whole of the Ithaca metropolitan area. ... Farms, East of Gorgan, Iran. ... Cazenovia College is a private, four-year, residential liberal arts college located in the Village of Cazenovia in Madison County, New York. ... Hamilton College is a private, independent, highly selective liberal arts college located in Clinton, New York. ... The architectural centerpiece of the Union campus, the Nott Memorial, is named after the colleges president from 1804-1866, Eliphalet Nott. ... Lady Justice or Justitia is a personification of the moral force that underlies the legal system (particularly in Western art). ... Look up Oswego in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Tioga County is a county located in the state of New York. ... Nickname: Location of Jackson within Jackson County, Michigan Country United States State Michigan County Jackson Government - Mayor Jerry Ludwig Area - City 11. ... Eaton Rapids is a city in Eaton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. ...

Politics in Michigan

He began his political career in Eaton Rapids, where he was elected the clerk of Eaton County in 1842. He moved back to Jackson in 1844 and was a Whig member of the Michigan State House of Representatives from Jackson County from 1846 to 1849. He served on the Judiciary Committee and was the leading proponent of the successful 1846 effort to abolish capital punishment in Michigan. He also introduced legislation to allow black citizens the right to vote. He left the Whig Party because they did not take a strong anti-slavery stance, and was a delegate to the Free Soil Party National Convention in Buffalo, New York in 1848 which nominated Martin Van Buren. The word clerk, derived from the Latin clericus meaning cleric, i. ... Eaton County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. ... The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. ... Cora B. Anderson House of Representatives Office Building, Downtown Lansing The Michigan State House of Representatives is the lower body of the Michigan Legislature. ... Jackson County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. ... U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The Free Soil Party was a short-lived political party in the United States organized in 1848 that petered out by about 1852. ... Nickname: Location of Buffalo in New York State County Erie County Government - Mayor Byron Brown Area - City 52. ... Martin Van Buren (December 5, 1782 â€“ July 24, 1862), nicknamed Old Kinderhook, was the 8th President of the United States from 1837 to 1841. ...

In February of 1849, Blair married Sarah L. Ford, of Seneca County New York. Together they had four sons; George who became a postal clerk in the railway mail service; Charles who became a partner with his father; the other two were Fred and Austin.

He was elected Jackson County prosecutor in 1852 and participated in organizing the Republican Party in 1854. He was chairman of the committee that drafted the Republican platform "under the oaks" in Jackson on July 6. He served in the Michigan Senate from 1855 to 1856. The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries adopting the common law adversarial system or the civil law inquisitorial system. ... This article is about the modern United States Republican Party. ... A Chairman is the presiding officer of a meeting, organization, committee, or other deliberative body. ... A committee is a (relatively) small group that can serve one of several functions: Governance: in organizations too large for all the members to participate in decisions affecting the organization as a whole, a committee (such as a Board of Directors) is given the power to make decisions. ... is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Billie S. Farnum Senate Office Building, Downtown Lansing The Michigan Senate is the upper body of the Michigan Legislature. ...

Blair was a delegate from Michigan to the 1860 Republican National Convention, which nominated Abraham Lincoln. He was also elected Governor of Michigan in that year and reelected in 1862, serving from 1861 to 1865. The 1860 Republican National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, nominated former U.S. Representative Abraham Lincoln for President and Maine Senator Hannibal Hamlin for Vice-President. ... For other uses, see Abraham Lincoln (disambiguation). ... Michigan Governors Territorial Governors State Governors From statehood until the election of 1966, governors were elected to two-year terms. ...

Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 308 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolution (822 Ã— 1599 pixel, file size: 565 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Self-made photograph of statue of Michigan Governor Austin Blair, Taken 2/4/06 in front of the Michigan State Capitol I, the creator of... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 308 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolution (822 Ã— 1599 pixel, file size: 565 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Self-made photograph of statue of Michigan Governor Austin Blair, Taken 2/4/06 in front of the Michigan State Capitol I, the creator of... The Michigan State Capitol The Michigan State Capitol is the building housing the legislative and executive branches of the government of the U.S. state of Michigan. ...

Civil War Governor

In his first inaugural address in January 1861, Blair recommended that the state offer its entire military resources to Lincoln for maintaining the supremacy of the U.S. Constitution. Within days of the outbreak of the American Civil War in April, Blair responded by calling for ten companies of volunteers. The legislature later retroactively authorized the Governor's quick actions, authorized a war loan of $1,000,000, and passed the Soldiers' Relief Law, requiring counties to provide relief to the families of soldiers. By mid-May, the first regiment of Michigan soldiers, under the command of Colonel O. B. Willcox had left to engage in the field of combat, and was the first western force to arrive at the seat of combat. The second regiment, under the command of Colonel Israel B. Richardson, soon followed. Page I of the Constitution of the United States of America Page II of the United States Constitution Page III of the United States Constitution Page IV of the United States Constitution The Syng inkstand, with which the Constitution was signed The Constitution of the United States is the supreme... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling. ... Orlando B. Willcox Orlando Bolivar Willcox (April 16, 1823 â€“ May 11, 1907) was an American soldier who served as a general in the Union army during the American Civil War. ... Israel B. Richardson (1815 â€“ 1862) was a United States Army officer during the Mexican-American War and Civil War. ...

While the third and fourth regiments were being raised, Blair received directions from the U.S. Secretary of War, limiting the number of regiments that would be accepted from Michigan to four and asked Blair not to raise more than that number. Blair decided to disregard these instructions and continued to establish the fifth, sixth, and seventh regiments, all of which had been deployed by mid-September. Under Blair's guidance, Michigan continued to supply troops for the Union forces throughout the war. One notable unit was a colored unit, known as the 102nd United States Colored Troops, which included two sons of Sojourner Truth and Josiah Henson (the man Harriet Beecher Stowe used as the model for Uncle Tom). In 1862, he attended the Loyal War Governors' Conference in Altoona, Pennsylvania, which ultimately backed Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation and the Union war effort. The Secretary of War was a member of the United States Presidents Cabinet, beginning with George Washingtons administration. ... Sojourner Truth (c. ... A photo of Josiah Henson, taken in 1877 Josiah Henson (June 15, 1789 â€“ May 5, 1883) was born into slavery in Charles County, Maryland. ... Harriet Elizabeth Beecher Stowe (June 14, 1811 â€“ July 1, 1896) was a white American abolitionist and novelist, whose Uncle Toms Cabin (1852) attacked the cruelty of slavery; it reached millions as a novel and play, and became influential, even in Britain. ... Uncle Tom is a pejorative for an African American who is perceived by others as behaving in a subservient manner to White American authority figures, or as seeking ingratiation with them by way of unnecessary accommodation. ... 1862 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The Logan House Train Platform. ... Altoona is a city in Blair County, Pennsylvania, United States. ... For other uses, see Abraham Lincoln (disambiguation). ... Leland-Boker Authorized Edition, printed in June 1864 with a presidential signature The Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order by United States President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War, which ostensibly declared the freedom of all slaves in the territory of the Confederate States of America that had not...

At the outset of the war, Michigan had a total population of approximately 800,000 and an estimated 110,000 able-bodied men capable of bearing arms. By the end of the war, more than 90,000 Michigan men had volunteered to fight. Blair personally helped to raise about $100,000 to organize and equip the initial muster of troops. When Blair left office in 1864, he was almost destitute, having expended much of his personal wealth in support of the war effort. During this time of conflict, Governor Blair ran the state government from his hometown of Jackson, making that community a hub of Michigan's war effort.

Blair ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate, challenging the politically well-entrenched Zachariah Chandler who, although a fellow Republican, was seen by Blair as representing wealthy, Detroit interests rather than "outstate" interests. Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Politics Portal The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the bicameral United States Congress, the... Zachariah T. Chandler (December 10, 1813 – November 1, 1879) was Mayor of Detroit (1851–52), a four-term U.S. Senator from the state of Michigan (1857–75, 1879), and Secretary of the Interior under U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant (1875–77). ... Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes - this motto was adopted after the disastrous 1805 fire that devastated the city) Nickname: The Motor City and Motown Location in Wayne County, Michigan Founded Incorporated July 24, 1701 1815 County Wayne County Mayor...

U.S. Congress, retirement and death

Two years after leaving the Governor's seat, Austin Blair was elected to the U.S. House representing Michigan's 3rd congressional district from 1867 to 1873, serving in the 40th, 41st and 42nd Congresses. He was not a candidate for re-election in 1872, but unsuccessfully ran as the Liberal Republican candidate for Governor. He returned to Jackson to resume a private law practice. He was a member of the University of Michigan board of regents from 1881 to 1889. In 1883, Blair was nominated for Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court Republican party, but was defeated. The House of Representatives is the larger of two houses that make up the U.S. Congress, the other being the United States Senate. ... United States House of Representatives, Michigan District 2 is a United States Congressional district in Western Michigan. ... // Dates of Sessions 1867-1869 First session: March 4, 1867 - December 1, 1867 Second session: Washington, DC from December 2, 1867 - November 10, 1868 Third (lame duck) session: December 7, 1868 - March 3, 1869 In addition, the Senate was called into special session by President Andrew Johnson and met from... Dates of Sessions 1869-1871 The first session of this Congress took place in Washington, DC from March 4, 1869 to April 10, 1869. ... United States Capitol // The Forty-second United States Congress was a meeting of the United States national legislature, comprised of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. ... Liberal Republicans were an American political party that existed during the 1872 election. ... The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (UM, U of M or U-M) is a coeducational public research university in the state of Michigan, and one of the foremost universities in the United States. ...

In 1895, the Michigan legislature appropriated $10,000 for a statue in Blair's memory. It was to be placed on Capitol Square, the first, and only time that an actual person has been honored with a statue on the Capitol's grounds. The Michigan State Capitol The Michigan State Capitol is the building housing the legislative and executive branches of the government of the U.S. state of Michigan. ...

References

The Biographical Directory of the United States Congress is a biographical dictionary of all members of both houses of the United States Congress, past and present. ...

External links

Categories: 1818 births | 1894 deaths | Governors of Michigan | Members of the Michigan House of Representatives | Michigan State Senators | Members of the United States House of Representatives from Michigan | People from Jackson, Michigan | Union College, New York alumni | Hamilton College alumni Moses Wisner (June 3, 1815–January 5, 1863) was a politician and soldier from the U.S. state of Michigan. ... Michigan Governors Territorial Governors State Governors From statehood until the election of 1966, governors were elected to two-year terms. ... 1861 (MDCCCLXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link with display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar) // January 1 - Benito JuÃ¡rez captures Mexico City January 2 - Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia dies and is succeeded by... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... Henry Howland Crapo (May 24, 1804â€“July 23, 1869) was born to Jesse and Phoebe Crapo in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. ... John Wesley Longyear (October 22, 1820 - March 11, 1875) was a politician and judge from the U.S. state of Michigan. ... These are tables of congressional delegations from Michigan to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives. ... George Willard (March 20, 1824 â€“ March 26, 1901) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. ...

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