Born in Florida, New York. Graduate of Union College in 1820. Admitted to New York bar in 1822. Married Frances Miller October 20, 1824. They had three sons and two daughters.

Elected to New York State Senate and served 1830 to 1834. Served as Governor of New York 1838 to 1842. Served in U.S. Senate March 4, 1849, to 1855 and 1855 to March 3, 1861. In 1858 he was the first person to donate books to the ANS library.

Appointed Secretary of State by President Lincoln and served 1861 to 1869. The conspiracy to kill Lincoln included a plot to kill several cabinet members including Seward. He received several knife wounds in the neck. He was probably saved by his neck brace. George F. Robinson, a soldier attending as a nurse, fought with the assailant Lewis Paine. Robinson received a medal.

Seward negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Russia for $7,200,000 in 1867. He died at home in Auburn, New York. Congress honored Robinson with a gold medal. Seward appears on the reverse of the medal (Julian PE- 27). Seward appears on the $50 Treasury Note of 1891.

bio: ApCAB; BDC; BDEB; DAB; Drake; EAB; Limpert; NCAB 2; TCBDA; WAB; WWWA-H; NUM/NIN 3/97