Francis Preston Blair
Francis Preston Blair, Sr. ( born April 12, 1791 in Abingdon, Washington County, Virginia; † November 5, 1876 in Silver Spring, Maryland) was an American journalist and politician.
Career
A native of Virginia Francis Blair moved to Kentucky, studied journalism and graduated in 1811 at the Transylvania University. After that, he was a contributor to Amos Kendall 's paper and the Argus in Frankfort. In 1830 he was an enthusiastic supporter of Andrew Jackson. He was editor of the Washington Globe, the recognized organ of the Jackson party. In this position, and as a member of Jackson's " Kitchen Cabinet ," he had long held a strong influence. The Globe was until 1841, the administrative organ and until 1845 the chief Democratic organ. Blair gave in 1849 his work as editor on. During his time in Washington, he worked for Jackson. Furthermore, Blair acquired in 1836 what later became known as Blair House.
In 1848 he actively supported Martin Van Buren, the Free Soil candidate in the presidential and 1852 Franklin Pierce. Then he helped in February 1856 of the new Republican Party to organize their convention in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was instrumental in securing the nomination of John Charles Frémont the Convention in June 1856, by Abraham Lincoln in 1860.
After Lincoln's re-election in 1864 Blair thought that his former closer personal relations with the Confederate leaders could help to bring an end to the hostilities and went with Lincoln's approval unofficially to Richmond, where he suggested to President Jefferson Davis to appoint commissioners, which delegates the the United States should advise ( although this may probably have been a result of internal political pressure). This had the pointless " Hampton Roads Conference " on February 3, 1865 episode. After the Civil War, Blair was an opponent of President Andrew Johnson's detractor, so that he eventually joined the Democratic Party.
Founder of Silver Spring
1840 was Blair (and possibly his daughter Elizabeth ) a " Glimmergesprenkelte " layer (now Georgia Avenue ) arose near Seventh Street Pike. He liked the location so that he bought the surrounding land and built a summer home for his family by the name of Silver Spring. The same city was named after Blair's estate.
Appreciation
At the top of the State of Georgia is Union County, which was named after the Union Party, the President Andrew Jackson strongly supported his policy of Indian removal. On December 26, 1835 Georgia General Assembly designated the Union County seat in a law that is " lot no. 273 of the 9th District and first portion of the original Cherokee territory, now Union County, at a place that is now known as Blairsville " ( Ga. Laws 1835, page 113). It is believed that the city ( Blairsville, Georgia) was named after Francis P. Blair, who was not only a prominent and influential man of his time, but also a strong supporter of the Union Party, was named after which the County itself. Adjacent cities and counties in the area have similar ties to the Union Party, so that they supported this relationship.
Family
Blair had two sons, Montgomery Blair (1813-1883) and Francis Preston Blair, Jr. (1821-1875), and a nephew, Benjamin Gratz Brown (1826-1885), who was also an important American politician. He also had a daughter, Elizabeth Blair (1818-1906), who married Rear Admiral Samuel Phillips Lee. He is also the great-grandfather of actor Montgomery Clift ( 1920-1966 ).