- Born:
- Feb. 19, 1821, Lexington, Ky., U.S.
- Died:
- July 9, 1875, St. Louis, Mo. (aged 54)
- Title / Office:
- United States Senate (1871-1873), United States
- Political Affiliation:
- Democratic Party
- Free-Soil Party
- Republican Party
Francis Preston Blair, Jr.
-
Who was Francis Preston Blair, Jr.?
Francis Preston Blair, Jr. (1821–1875) was a Missouri politician prominent in the Civil War era. Though himself a slaveowner, he opposed slavery's expansion, advocating gradual emancipation and black colonization.
Blair served as a Missouri legislator and a U.S. Congressman, campaigning for Lincoln in 1860 and organizing a pro-Union militia.
As a brigadier general, he commanded troops in key battles, including Vicksburg. After the war, Blair criticized Radical Republicans, opposing black suffrage and military governments in the South. By 1865, he joined the Democratic Party and ran for vice president in 1868. Later, Blair aligned with the Liberal Republicans, briefly returning to the U.S. Senate before paralysis ended his career.
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What roles did Francis Preston Blair, Jr. have in American politics?
Francis Preston Blair, Jr. was a Missouri politician who played significant roles in American politics during the 19th century.
- Free-Soil Advocate Blair founded the Barnburner newspaper and opposed slavery's expansion, advocating gradual emancipation and colonization.
- Legislator and Congressman He served in the Missouri legislature and the U.S. Congress, becoming the only Free-Soiler from a slave state in Congress in 1856.
- Unionist Blair helped prevent Missouri from joining the Confederacy by organizing a pro-Union militia.
- Civil War General As a brigadier general, he commanded troops in key battles, including Vicksburg and Sherman's march through Georgia.
- Political Shift Blair later opposed Radical Reconstruction, advocating for Lincoln's plan. By 1865, he joined the Democratic Party and ran for vice president in 1868.
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Which political party did Francis Preston Blair, Jr. belong to during his career?
Francis Preston Blair, Jr. was a politician who belonged to multiple parties during his career. He began as a Free-Soiler, organizing the Free-Soil Party in Missouri and winning a seat in Congress as the only Free-Soiler from a slave state.
Blair later joined the Republican Party and campaigned for Abraham Lincoln. After the Civil War, he became critical of the Radical Republicans and eventually switched to the Democratic Party by 1865, even becoming the Democratic candidate for vice president in 1868. Later in life, Blair sought to align Missouri Democrats with the Liberal Republicans.
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How did Francis Preston Blair, Jr. contribute to the Civil War effort?
Francis Preston Blair, Jr. significantly aided the Union cause during the Civil War. As a congressman and chairman of the Military Affairs Committee, he organized the Republican Party in Missouri and mobilized a pro-Union militia, the Wide Awakes, which helped keep Missouri from joining the Confederacy. In 1862, Blair recruited seven regiments in Missouri and became a brigadier general, later a major general, demonstrating his command abilities at Vicksburg and in the march through Georgia with General William Tecumseh Sherman.
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What major offices did Francis Preston Blair, Jr. hold after the Civil War?
After the Civil War, Francis Preston Blair, Jr. transitioned to the Democratic Party and ran unsuccessfully for Vice President in 1868. Aligning with the Liberal Republicans, he helped oust Radicals from Missouri's government. Blair then served in the Missouri state legislature and was appointed to the U.S. Senate in 1870 to fill an unexpired term. However, he was defeated in 1872 when he ran for a full Senate term. Shortly after this defeat, Blair was stricken with paralysis and never held major public office again.
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How did Francis Preston Blair, Jr.'s beliefs and actions impact American history?
Francis Preston Blair, Jr. was a Missouri politician who significantly impacted American history during the Civil War era. Despite being a slaveowner, he opposed the expansion of slavery, advocating gradual emancipation and colonization.
As a Republican congressman, Blair helped organize the Republican Party in Missouri and mobilized a pro-Union militia, which helped keep Missouri from joining the Confederacy. He served as a Union general, demonstrating his command abilities in key battles.
After the war, Blair became a Democrat and opposed Radical Reconstruction, disagreeing with Black suffrage and the military governments imposed on the defeated Confederacy. His actions reflected the complex political landscape of the time.
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Francis Preston Blair, Jr. (born Feb. 19, 1821, Lexington, Ky., U.S.—died July 9, 1875, St. Louis, Mo.) was a Missouri politician of the antebellum, Civil War, and Reconstruction eras who opposed slavery and secession but later came out against Radical Reconstruction and black suffrage.
The son of the political journalist of the same name, Blair grew up in Washington, D.C., graduated from Princeton in 1841, and attended law school at Transylvania University, Lexington, Ky. By 1842 he was practicing law with his brother Montgomery in St. Louis.
During the Mexican War, Blair served briefly as attorney general of the conquered New Mexico Territory. He then returned to his St. Louis law practice but shortly thereafter established the Barnburner, the official newspaper of the Free-Soil Party in Missouri. Although a slaveowner himself, Blair opposed the extension of slavery into the territories on economic as well as moral grounds. He advocated gradual emancipation, followed by deportation and colonization of the freed blacks.
Although he was a controversial figure in Missouri because of his prominent role in organizing the state’s Free-Soil Party, Blair was twice elected to terms in the Missouri legislature. In 1856 he won a seat in Congress, the only Free-Soiler from a slave state to do so. He lost his campaign for reelection in 1858 but returned to Congress as a Republican in 1860.
An outstanding stump speaker, Blair vigorously campaigned for Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 presidential contest while organizing the Republican Party in Missouri. In the House, he served as chairman of the Military Affairs Committee, while in Missouri he mobilized a secret pro-Union militia unit called the Wide Awakes. It was largely owing to Blair that the secession sympathizers in Missouri were held in check and that the state did not join the Confederacy.
In 1862 Blair recruited seven regiments in Missouri and accepted appointment as a brigadier general. He was promoted to major general after proving his ability as a commander at Vicksburg and other battlefronts. His final military activity of the Civil War was in command of troops marching through Georgia with General William Tecumseh Sherman.
Back in Congress in 1864, Blair boldly criticized the Radical Republicans and supported Lincoln’s plan for Reconstruction. He opposed giving blacks the vote, disfranchising Southern whites, and imposing military governments on the states of the defeated Confederacy. He tried but failed to win back control of the Republican Party in Missouri from Radical control. By 1865 he had switched to the Democratic Party, and in 1868 he was the Democratic candidate for vice president.
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Following Ulysses S. Grant’s victory in that election, Blair sought to align Missouri Democrats with the Liberal Republicans. This coalition eventually ousted the Radicals from control of the state government. Meanwhile, Blair won a seat in the state legislature and, in 1870, was chosen to fill an unexpired term in the U.S. Senate. When in 1872 he ran for a full term in the Senate, however, he was defeated. Shortly after that loss, he was stricken with paralysis and never again held major public office.