Elihu B. Washburne

Elihu B. Washburne
Born	Elihu Benjamin Washburne 23 9, 1816
Birthplace	Livermore, Massachusetts (now Maine), U.S.
Died	Template:Death date and age Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, diplomat, lawyer
Known for	Service as U.S. Representative from Illinois, 25th U.S. Secretary of State, U.S. Minister to France during the Franco-Prussian War
Education	Maine Wesleyan Seminary; Harvard University
Spouse(s)	Adele Gratiot
Children	7
Awards	Formal diplomatic praise from French and German governments

Elihu Benjamin Washburne (September 23, 1816 – October 22, 1887) was an American politician, diplomat, and lawyer who served as a U.S. Representative from Illinois for sixteen years, as the 25th United States Secretary of State, and as the United States Minister to France from 1869 to 1877. A member of the politically influential Washburn family of Maine, he played a significant role in the early formation of the Republican Party and was among the most consequential congressional figures of the American Civil War era. Washburne's career was shaped by two defining relationships: his political alliance with President Abraham Lincoln and his long friendship with General Ulysses S. Grant, whose military career he championed in Congress throughout the war. After Grant's election to the presidency, Washburne served briefly as Secretary of State before assuming his post in Paris, where he earned international recognition for his humanitarian efforts during the Franco-Prussian War and the Paris Commune. His diplomatic service in France, spanning eight years under two presidents, represented one of the longest and most eventful American diplomatic postings of the nineteenth century. In retirement, Washburne turned to writing, publishing a biography of anti-slavery politician Edward Coles and a memoir of his diplomatic experiences in France.

Early Life

Elihu Benjamin Washburne was born on September 23, 1816, in Livermore, in the District of Maine (then part of Massachusetts; Maine became a separate state in 1820). He was a member of the prominent Washburn family, several members of which went on to serve in Congress and in governorships across multiple states. The family played a notable role in the formation of the Republican Party during the 1850s.

When Washburne's family fell into financial hardship, he left home at the age of fourteen to support himself and pursue his education. This early independence shaped the self-reliant character that would define his later political career. During his youth in Maine, Washburne worked for newspapers, gaining experience in writing and public affairs that would serve him throughout his career in politics and diplomacy.

The Washburn family name became one of the most recognizable in nineteenth-century American politics. Elihu added the letter "e" to the end of his surname, distinguishing himself from several of his brothers who also held prominent political offices. Among his siblings were Israel Washburn Jr., who served as Governor of Maine, and Cadwallader C. Washburn, who served as Governor of Wisconsin and as a Union general during the Civil War. The family's collective influence across the Northern states made them a significant force in the political realignment that accompanied the collapse of the Whig Party and the rise of the Republicans.

Education

Washburne attended the Maine Wesleyan Seminary, where he received his early formal education. He subsequently studied law, and after completing his legal preparation, he attended Harvard Law School at Harvard University. His path to legal education was not straightforward, given his family's financial difficulties, and he largely financed his own education through his work for newspapers and other employment during his youth. After passing the bar, Washburne was equipped with the legal credentials and professional training that would enable him to establish himself as a practicing attorney in the Midwest, a common trajectory for ambitious young New Englanders seeking greater economic opportunity on the expanding American frontier.

Career

Early Legal Career and Move to Illinois

After completing his legal studies and passing the bar, Washburne relocated westward to Galena, Illinois, a prosperous lead-mining town in the far northwestern corner of the state. In Galena, he established himself as a partner in a successful law firm, building a reputation in the local legal community. The town served as an important commercial hub along the Mississippi River, and its prominence in regional affairs provided Washburne with both professional opportunities and a political base from which he would launch his congressional career.

Galena would later become significant in another respect: it was the town to which Ulysses S. Grant moved shortly before the Civil War to work in his father's leather goods business. The proximity of Washburne and Grant in this small Illinois town laid the foundation for one of the most consequential political-military partnerships of the Civil War era.

Congressional Career (1853–1869)

Washburne was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1852 as a member of the Whig Party, representing Illinois's first congressional district. He took his seat on March 4, 1853, and would serve continuously in the House for sixteen years until March 6, 1869. His predecessor in the seat was William Bissell, who later served as Governor of Illinois.

Initially a Whig, Washburne joined the newly formed Republican Party around 1856, as the Whig Party disintegrated over the issue of slavery. He became one of the party's early and influential members, and his long tenure in the House made him one of the most senior Republicans in Congress. From March 4, 1863, until his departure from the House in 1869, Washburne served as Dean of the United States House of Representatives, a title accorded to the longest-serving member of the body, succeeding John S. Phelps in that honorary role.

During the years leading up to the Civil War, Washburne was a supporter of Abraham Lincoln and aligned himself with the anti-slavery faction of the Republican Party. When Lincoln arrived in Washington, D.C. on February 23, 1861, under conditions of secrecy and tight security due to threats against the President-elect, Washburne was among those who facilitated and supported Lincoln's safe arrival in the capital.

Advocacy for Ulysses S. Grant

Washburne's most historically significant role during the Civil War was his sponsorship and advocacy of Ulysses S. Grant's military career. The two men were acquainted through their mutual residence in Galena, Illinois, where Grant had moved shortly before the outbreak of hostilities to work in his family's leather goods store. When the war began in 1861, Washburne recognized Grant's potential and used his congressional influence to advance Grant's career in the Union Army.

Washburne advocated for Grant's successive promotions through the ranks of the Union command structure. He served as Grant's political protector in Washington, defending the general against critics both in Congress and in the military establishment who questioned Grant's methods, his drinking habits, or the heavy casualties sustained by his forces. This was particularly important during the early years of the war, when Grant's aggressive style of warfare was not universally appreciated in the capital.

The relationship between Washburne and Grant was instrumental in Grant's rise to the position of Lieutenant General of the Army, a rank that had been dormant since George Washington. On March 1, 1864, President Lincoln nominated Grant to be Lieutenant General, and the nomination was sent to the Senate for confirmation. This promotion placed Grant in command of all Union armies and was a turning point in the war.

Washburne continued to serve as Grant's chief congressional advocate throughout the remainder of the war and into the Reconstruction period. Their friendship and political association persisted through Grant's two terms as president and represented one of the most enduring political partnerships of the era.

Radical Republican and Reconstruction

As a leader of the Radical Republicans in Congress, Washburne opposed the lenient Reconstruction policies of President Andrew Johnson, who assumed office after Lincoln's assassination in April 1865. Washburne supported African American suffrage and civil rights, aligning himself with the faction of the Republican Party that sought to fundamentally restructure Southern society and ensure the political rights of the formerly enslaved population.

Washburne's stance on Reconstruction placed him among the most influential congressional voices pressing for a more assertive federal role in the postwar South. His position as one of the longest-serving and most senior Republicans in the House gave him considerable influence over the legislative direction of Reconstruction policy during the years between Lincoln's death and Grant's inauguration as president in 1869.

Secretary of State (1869)

When Ulysses S. Grant was inaugurated as the 18th President of the United States on March 4, 1869, he appointed Washburne as the 25th United States Secretary of State, succeeding William H. Seward, who had served in the position throughout the Lincoln and Johnson administrations. The appointment was made largely out of respect for Washburne's years of championship of Grant's career during the Civil War, and to give Washburne the enhanced diplomatic standing that would accompany a cabinet-level appointment before he assumed his intended post as Minister to France.

Washburne's tenure as Secretary of State lasted only eleven days, from March 5 to March 16, 1869, making it one of the shortest in American history. He was succeeded by Hamilton Fish, who would serve in the position for the entirety of Grant's two terms. The brevity of Washburne's service as Secretary of State was by design; the appointment was essentially a courtesy title intended to elevate his standing for his diplomatic mission in Paris rather than a substantive policy role.

United States Minister to France (1869–1877)

On March 23, 1869, Washburne assumed his duties as the 23rd United States Minister to France, succeeding John Adams Dix. He would serve in this capacity for eight years, under Presidents Grant and Rutherford B. Hayes, until September 5, 1877, when he was succeeded by Edward F. Noyes.

Franco-Prussian War and the Siege of Paris

Washburne's tenure in France coincided with one of the most turbulent periods in French history. The Franco-Prussian War broke out in July 1870, and the rapid defeat of French forces led to the collapse of the Second French Empire, the siege of Paris by Prussian forces, and the establishment of the Paris Commune in 1871. Throughout these events, Washburne remained at his post in Paris, making him one of the few foreign diplomats to stay in the besieged capital.

During the Franco-Prussian War, Washburne became known for his diplomatic integrity and his humanitarian support of Americans, other neutral nationals, and Germans who were stranded in France. When the German diplomatic staff departed Paris at the outbreak of hostilities, Washburne assumed the role of protecting power for German nationals in France, a function that required him to intervene on behalf of Germans who faced hostility, internment, or other dangers in wartime France.

This dual role — representing American interests while also serving as the protector of German nationals — placed Washburne in an extraordinarily sensitive diplomatic position. He navigated this role with sufficient skill that he received formal praise from the governments of both France and Germany for his humanitarian efforts during the conflict. His service during the siege of Paris and the Commune was later recognized as one of the most distinguished episodes in the history of American diplomacy in Europe.

The Paris Commune

Following the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War and the fall of the provisional government, the radical Paris Commune seized power in March 1871. The Commune's brief and violent existence — it was suppressed by the French national government in May 1871 during the "Bloody Week" — presented Washburne with further diplomatic challenges. He continued to represent American interests and provide humanitarian assistance during this period of extreme instability, further enhancing his reputation as a diplomat of unusual courage and principle.

Washburne's eight years in France represented one of the most eventful American diplomatic postings of the nineteenth century. His experiences during the Franco-Prussian War, the siege of Paris, and the Commune would later form the basis of his published memoir of his diplomatic career.

1880 Presidential Campaign

After returning to the United States from France, Washburne was considered a potential candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 1880. At the 1880 Republican National Convention, he was among several candidates vying for the nomination. Grant himself was the front-runner, seeking an unprecedented third term as president. Washburne's candidacy, while it did not garner wide support, contributed to the fragmentation of the Republican vote that ultimately prevented Grant from securing the nomination. The convention eventually turned to dark horse candidate James A. Garfield, who won the nomination and subsequently the presidency.

The 1880 convention marked the end of the long friendship between Washburne and Grant. Grant was reportedly disappointed when the party turned away from his third-term bid, and the fact that Washburne had been a rival candidate at the convention created a rift between the two men that was never fully repaired. This estrangement between two former close allies was a notable episode in the political history of the post-Reconstruction Republican Party.

Retirement and Writing

In retirement, Washburne settled in Chicago, Illinois, and turned his attention to writing. He published a biography of Edward Coles, the second Governor of Illinois and an anti-slavery politician who had freed his own slaves and campaigned against the introduction of slavery into Illinois. Washburne also wrote a memoir of his diplomatic career in France, drawing on his extensive experiences during the Franco-Prussian War, the siege of Paris, and the Paris Commune. These works provided valuable firsthand accounts of both American political history and European affairs during a period of significant upheaval.

Personal Life

Elihu B. Washburne married Adele Gratiot, with whom he had seven children. One of their children, Hempstead Washburne, went on to become the Mayor of Chicago, continuing the family tradition of public service. The Washburne family maintained strong connections to both Galena, Illinois, where Washburne had established his law practice and political career, and to the broader political circles of the Republican Party.

Washburne's wife, Adele Gratiot, accompanied him during portions of his diplomatic service in France, where the family experienced the extraordinary events of the Franco-Prussian War and its aftermath. The Washburne household in Paris served as a center of American diplomatic activity during one of the most dangerous periods in the city's modern history.

Elihu B. Washburne died on October 22, 1887, in Chicago, Illinois, at the age of 71. He was buried at Greenwood Cemetery in Galena, Illinois, the town that had served as the base of his political career and where he had first established himself as a young lawyer from Maine.

Recognition

Washburne received formal recognition from both the French and German governments for his humanitarian work during the Franco-Prussian War. His willingness to remain in Paris during the siege and to serve as the protecting power for German nationals in France — while simultaneously representing American interests — was recognized as an act of exceptional diplomatic service.

His sixteen-year tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives, including his service as Dean of the House from 1863 to 1869, marked him as one of the most senior and influential Republican members of Congress during the Civil War and Reconstruction eras. His role in sponsoring Ulysses S. Grant's military career — from Grant's early commands in the Western Theater to his appointment as Lieutenant General — was recognized by contemporaries as one of the most significant instances of congressional patronage in American military history.

Washburne's brief service as Secretary of State, while largely ceremonial, placed him in the historical record as one of the shortest-serving holders of that office. His subsequent eight-year posting as Minister to France was, by contrast, one of the longest and most consequential American diplomatic assignments of the nineteenth century.

The American Heritage magazine published a detailed account of Washburne's diplomatic career, particularly his service during the Franco-Prussian War, recognizing the historical significance of his tenure in Paris.

Legacy

Elihu B. Washburne's legacy is defined by his roles in three overlapping spheres of nineteenth-century American history: the Civil War, Reconstruction, and transatlantic diplomacy. As the congressional sponsor and protector of Ulysses S. Grant, Washburne played an indirect but significant role in the Union's eventual military victory. His advocacy ensured that Grant received the promotions and political support necessary to assume command of all Union forces, a development that was instrumental in bringing the war to a conclusion.

As a Radical Republican, Washburne contributed to the legislative framework of Reconstruction, supporting measures to extend civil rights and suffrage to African Americans in the postwar South. While the ultimate failure of many Reconstruction-era reforms tempered the long-term impact of these efforts, Washburne's stance placed him among the congressional leaders who sought the most comprehensive transformation of Southern society.

Washburne's diplomatic service in France during the Franco-Prussian War established a precedent for the role of American diplomats as humanitarian actors during European conflicts. His service as a protecting power for German nationals in France anticipated the more formalized role that neutral nations would play in protecting enemy nationals during twentieth-century conflicts. The U.S. Naval War College has cited Washburne's service as an early example of the protecting power function in international humanitarian law.

The Washburn family's broader political legacy — with multiple brothers serving in Congress and as state governors — represents one of the most notable examples of a single family's influence on American political life in the nineteenth century. Elihu B. Washburne, with his combination of lengthy congressional service, cabinet appointment, and extended diplomatic posting, compiled one of the most varied and consequential careers of any member of that family.