William H. Seward
Also known as: William Henry Seward · William Seward
William Henry Seward was an American politician who served as United States Secretary of State from 1861 to 1869 and earlier served as governor of New York and as a United States senator.
Connections1
Key administrative advisor
As Secretary of State, Seward advised Lincoln to wait for a Union military victory before issuing the Proclamation to avoid the appearance of desperation.