Hannibal Hamlin

Hannibal Hamlin ( August 27, 1809 in Paris, Oxford County, Maine; † July 4, 1891 in Bangor, Maine ) was an American politician. He was Vice President of the United States during the first term of President Abraham Lincoln from 1861 until 1865.

Early years and political rise

Hannibal Hamlin attended the local schools of his home and the Hebron Academy. After studying law he was admitted to the bar in 1833. Then he started in Hampden to work in his new profession.

Between 1836 and 1840 he was a member of the House of Representatives from Maine. In 1837 he was its President ( Speaker). From 1843 to 1847 he sat as an MP in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1847 he returned briefly in the Parliament of Maine, before he was in 1848 elected to the U.S. Senate. There he remained until 1857.

Originally a Democrat, who had 1853 's candidacy Franklin Pierce's support, he went over to the Republicans after their inception. On September 8, 1856 Hamlin was elected as a candidate of his new party for governor of Maine. He took office on January 8, 1857, there were already on 25 February off again, because he had been re-elected to the U.S. Senate. There he remained until 1861. In November 1860 he was elected as a vice presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln in this office, which he assumed on March 4, 1861.

Vice President of the United States

In his time as vice president of the American Civil War was launched. But He took on the politics of the Northern states no significant effect and did not belong to the inner circle of power to President Lincoln. When the victory of the northern states became clear to Lincoln decided to replace him in the 1864 presidential election by Andrew Johnson, who seemed more appropriate for national reconciliation, since he was both Southerners and Unionist. Hamlin retired early from office in March 1865, Andrew Johnson took over after Lincoln's assassination in mid-April the presidency.

Further CV

Between 1865 and 1866, Hamlin was head of the customs authority at the port of Boston, he was from 1869 to 1881 again a member of the U.S. Senate. From 1877 to 1879 he was chairman of the influential Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Between 1881 and 1882 he was the U.S. ambassador to Spain. After he retired from politics. Hannibal Hamlin died on July 4, 1891 and was buried at Mount Hope Cemetery in Bangor. He was married twice and had six children.