Seward, William H.

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Seward, William H. (1801–72) US statesman. Seward lost the Republican nomination for president (1860) to Abraham Lincoln, who appointed him secretary of state. He succeeded in maintaining good relations with Europe during the Civil War, and his handling of the Trent Affair averted British recognition of the Confederacy. Seward was wounded in the shooting that killed Lincoln, but continued in office under Andrew Johnson, negotiating (1867) the purchase of Alaska.

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