I first met Henry Wilson during my class at ASU, US History from 1500-1865. We were studying Frederick Douglas’s life and book (The Narrative of Frederick Douglas) and we had to do a paper in which we placed ourselves in the late 1850s and took on the role of someone discussing the book in those days. Somehow, I stumbled upon Wilson, and I used his persona to write a letter to Abraham Lincoln, urging him to read the book and to join the Republican Party’s effort to not just oppose slavery’s expansion, but to destroy it entirely.
Henry Wilson is one of those people in our history that should be better known and better remembered. His efforts on behalf of ending slavery aren’t just under appreciated, they are virtually unknown. Which… is just sad…
Henry Wilson was the kind of man whose story sounds like something out of a Horatio Alger novel—except with far more grit, an unshakable moral compass, and a deep-seated hatred of slavery that propelled him to the highest echelons of American politics. Born Jeremiah Jones Colbath on February 16, 1812, in rural New Hampshire, Wilson’s early years were defined by poverty and hard labor. Indentured as a boy to work on a farm, he gained little formal education but developed a passion for self-improvement and an unrelenting work ethic. Changing his name to Henry Wilson at twenty-one, he struck out on his own, became a shoemaker in Massachusetts, and educated himself through reading and debating. But the sight of enslaved families being torn apart in Washington, D.C., during a trip south ignited a fire in him that would burn for the rest of his life. Wilson became one of the most influential political organizers of the Free Soil Party and later helped found the Republican Party, both dedicated to stopping the spread of slavery. As a U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, he was a steadfast opponent of the so-called “Slave Power”—the alliance of southern aristocrats and their political allies who sought to expand and entrench slavery. During the Civil War, Wilson played a critical role in organizing the Union war effort and ensuring that African Americans could fight for their own freedom. After the war, as a Radical Republican, he was instrumental in crafting Reconstruction policies aimed at securing civil rights for newly freed slaves. His career culminated in his election as Vice President under Ulysses S. Grant in 1872, but his health declined rapidly, and he died in office in 1875. Wilson’s legacy is that of an unyielding advocate for equality, a man who rose from the humblest of origins to help shape the course of American history.
Wilson’s journey from indentured servant to U.S. Senator was remarkable, not just for its upward trajectory but for the fierce moral conviction that drove it. Growing up in New Hampshire, he knew firsthand the struggles of the working class, and that experience would shape his political outlook for life. He started out as a shoemaker in Natick, Massachusetts, earning himself the nickname the “Natick Cobbler.” But even as he worked long hours crafting brogans, he spent his nights reading history and debating politics. When he visited Washington, D.C., and saw the brutal reality of slavery with his own eyes, he vowed to dedicate himself to abolition. He became active in Massachusetts politics, serving in the state legislature and emerging as a leader in the Free Soil Party, which opposed the expansion of slavery into the western territories. The Free Soil Party was a coalition of former Whigs, disaffected Democrats, and abolitionists who believed in “Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men”—the idea that western lands should be reserved for free white laborers rather than enslaved people. Wilson played a crucial role in organizing the party and pushing its agenda, but when it dissolved in the mid-1850s, he joined the newly formed Republican Party, which took up the anti-slavery cause.
Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1855, Wilson quickly established himself as a fierce opponent of slavery. He worked alongside Radical Republicans like Charles Sumner and Thaddeus Stevens to push back against southern attempts to expand the institution. During the Civil War, Wilson was a key figure in organizing the Union war effort, serving as chairman of the Senate Military Affairs Committee. He helped draft legislation to expand the Union Army and worked tirelessly to ensure African Americans were allowed to enlist. Wilson played a crucial role in the passage of the Militia Act of 1862, which allowed Black men to serve in the military—a radical step at the time. He also authored the law that abolished slavery in Washington, D.C., a significant moral and symbolic victory in the fight against the Confederacy.
After the war, Wilson was a strong advocate for Reconstruction and civil rights. He fought for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, which granted citizenship and voting rights to African Americans. He worked to protect freedmen from violent backlash in the South, pushing for federal protections against groups like the Ku Klux Klan. But like many Radical Republicans, Wilson saw his influence wane as public enthusiasm for Reconstruction faded. He remained committed to his principles, even as many in his own party grew weary of the fight.
In 1872, Wilson was elected Vice President as Ulysses S. Grant’s running mate, replacing Schuyler Colfax. His tenure was brief and largely uneventful, as his health quickly deteriorated. He suffered a stroke in 1873 and never fully recovered. He continued to work, but his effectiveness was diminished, and he ultimately died in the U.S. Capitol in November 1875. His death was widely mourned, and he was remembered as a man who had dedicated his life to the cause of equality.
Wilson’s legacy is one of tireless advocacy for justice and a relentless fight against slavery and oppression. He was not a flashy politician or a great orator like some of his contemporaries, but he was a man of deep conviction and steady determination. He understood that history is shaped not just by great speeches or battlefield heroics but by the slow, grinding work of building coalitions, drafting legislation, and pushing forward even when the odds seem insurmountable. Today, Wilson is not as well-remembered as some of his peers, but his contributions to the abolition of slavery and the fight for civil rights were crucial. His story is a testament to the power of perseverance, the idea that a poor boy from New Hampshire could rise to help reshape the nation. Wilson’s life reminds us that real change often comes not from those born into privilege but from those who understand hardship, who see injustice and refuse to look away.
DAVE DOES HISTORY 
Leave a comment