Wade, Benjamin F.

Wade, Benjamin F.

▪ American politician
in full  Benjamin Franklin Wade  
born Oct. 27, 1800, Springfield, Mass., U.S.
died March 2, 1878, Jefferson, Ohio
 U.S. senator during the Civil War whose radical views brought him into conflict with presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson.

      In 1821 Wade's family moved to Andover, Ohio. He studied law, was admitted to the bar, and formed a successful partnership in 1831 with the outspoken antislavery advocate Joshua R. Giddings. After a term as prosecuting attorney, Wade was elected in 1837 to the state Senate as a Whig. His determined antislavery stand cost him reelection in 1839, but he won another term in 1841. In 1847 he was elected by the legislature as president judge of the third judicial district. His businesslike, forceful methods won him popular attention, and the Whig-controlled legislature in 1851 elected him to the U.S. Senate. He was reelected to the Senate as a Republican in 1857 and 1863.

      In the Senate during the 1850s Wade was an uncompromising foe of the extension of slavery and vigorously opposed the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which opened the door to the spread of slavery in the West. During the Civil War he took his stand with the Radical Republicans (Radical Republican), a congressional group that favoured vigorous prosecution of the war, emancipation of the slaves, and severe punishment for the South. As chairman of the Joint Congressional Committee on the Conduct of the War, Wade played a prominent but controversial role in investigating all aspects of the Union military effort. In 1864, as cosponsor of the Wade-Davis Bill, which declared that reconstruction of the Southern state governments was a legislative rather than an executive concern, he came into direct conflict with President Lincoln.

      When Andrew Johnson became president after Lincoln's assassination, Wade at first cooperated with him. But when Johnson made it clear that he favoured a lenient plan of reconstruction, Wade became his caustic critic. Elected president pro tempore of the Senate on March 2, 1867, Wade would have succeeded to the presidency had Johnson been removed by the Senate in the impeachment trial of May 1868. Certain of success, Wade actually began to select his cabinet, and Johnson's acquittal bitterly disappointed him. When the Democratic majority in the Ohio legislature denied him a fourth senatorial term, Wade retired to his Ohio law practice in 1869.

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  • Wade,Benjamin Franklin — Wade (wād), Benjamin Franklin. 1800 1878. American politician who served as a U.S. senator from Ohio (1851 1869) and jointly authored the Wade Davis Manifesto (1864), which declared the primacy of Congress in matters of the Reconstruction. * * * …   Universalium

  • Wade, Benjamin F(ranklin) — (27 oct. 1800, Springfield, Mass., EE.UU.–2 mar. 1878, Jefferson, Ohio). Político estadounidense. Ejerció como abogado en Ohio antes de ingresar al Senado de EE.UU. (1851–69), donde se opuso a la extensión de la esclavitud y a la ley Kansas… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Wade, Benjamin F(ranklin) — born Oct. 27, 1800, Springfield, Mass., U.S. died March 2, 1878, Jefferson, Ohio U.S. politician. He practiced law in Ohio before serving in the U.S. Senate (1851–69), where he opposed the extension of slavery and the Kansas Nebraska Act. In the… …   Universalium

  • Benjamin Wade — Nationalité …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Benjamin Wade — Infobox Senator name=Benjamin Franklin Wade jr/sr=United States Senator state=Ohio party=Whig, Republican term=March 15, 1851 ndash; March 3, 1869 preceded=Thomas Ewing, Sr. succeeded=Allen G. Thurman order2=58th President pro tempore of the… …   Wikipedia

  • wade — /wayd/, v., waded, wading, n. v.i. 1. to walk in water, when partially immersed: He wasn t swimming, he was wading. 2. to play in water: The children were wading in the pool most of the afternoon. 3. to walk through water, snow, sand, or any… …   Universalium

  • benjamin — /ben jeuh meuhn/, n. benzoin1 (def. 2). [1570 80; alter. (by assoc. with the proper name) of benjoin, early form of BENZOIN1] * * * (as used in expressions) Banneker Benjamin Benjamin Judah Philip Benjamin Walter Benjamin Kubelsky Bloch Marc… …   Universalium

  • Benjamin — /ben jeuh meuhn/, n. 1. the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel, and the brother of Joseph. Gen. 35:18. 2. one of the 12 tribes of ancient Israel traditionally descended from him. 3. Asher, 1773 1845, U.S. architect and writer. 4. Judah Philip, 1811 …   Universalium

  • Benjamin — (De Benjamín, hijo menor de Jacob.) ► sustantivo Hijo menor de una familia. * * * benjamín, a (de «Benjamín», nombre del hijo menor y más querido de Jacob) 1 n. Se aplica al hijo menor de una familia, cuando se quiere significar que es el más… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Benjamín — (De Benjamín, hijo menor de Jacob.) ► sustantivo Hijo menor de una familia. * * * benjamín, a (de «Benjamín», nombre del hijo menor y más querido de Jacob) 1 n. Se aplica al hijo menor de una familia, cuando se quiere significar que es el más… …   Enciclopedia Universal

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