Born and raised in Florida, New York, in 1801, William Henry Seward entered Union College in Schenectady, New York, in 1815. In 1818, after a disagreement with his father over money matters, Seward ran away to Georgia, where he taught school. He returned to New York in 1820 and completed his schooling. He began a law practice in Auburn, New York, in 1822. He met master politician Thurlow Weed (1797-1882), who became his political mentor and a shrewd guide to public office. Seward was elected state senator in the fall of 1830. He later served two terms as governor of New York, gaining nationwide attention for his battle with Southern governors over the return of fugitive slaves.

Seward resumed his law practice in 1842. In 1846, two African Americans, both clearly mentally ill, were brought to trial in Auburn on the charge of murder. Seward's eloquent defense of them spread his fame...