Wilson, Henry

(February 16, 1812—November 22, 1875), Vice- President of the United States, was born in New Hampshire. He was in his early life a farmer, and a shoemaker in Natick, Ma , He was a Whig member of the Ma achusetts Legislature, but renounced the Whig policy at the convention of 1848, and aided in forming the Free-Soil party. In 1853 he was the defeated Free-Soil candidate for Governor. A coalition of parties sent him to the U.S. Senate in 1855, and he was continued there by Republican votes until 1873. Seaator Wilson was one of the principal opponents of slavery. During the war he was chairman of the Committee on Military Affairs. When President Grant was renominated in 1872, Senator Wilson received the second place on the ticket. They carried the country, and Wilson was Vice- President 1873-1875. He wrote various historical works, chief of which is ‘‘ Rise and Fall of the Slave Power,’’ in three volumes.