Thurlow Weed

Thurlow Weed
Weed at the height of his influence, c. 1860. Brady-Handy photograph, Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.
Member of the New York State Assembly from Monroe County
In office January 1, 1830 – December 31, 1830 Serving with Ezra Sheldon Jr., Joseph Randall
Preceded by	John Garbutt, Heman Norton, Reuben Willey
Succeeded by	Samuel G. Andrews, Isaac Lacey, Peter Price
In office January 1, 1825 – December 31, 1825 Serving with Gustavus Clark, Henry Fellows
Preceded by	Peter Price, Major H. Smith, Enos Stone
Succeeded by	Henry Fellows, Isaac Lacey, Vincent Mathews
Personal details
Born	Edward Thurlow Weed (1797-11-15)November 15, 1797 Cairo, Greene County, New York
Died	November 22, 1882(1882-11-22) (aged 85) New York City, New York
Resting place	Albany Rural Cemetery
Political party	Democratic-Republican Adams Republican Anti-Masonic Whig Republican
Spouse	Catherine Ostrander (m. 1818-1858, her death)
Relations	William Barnes Sr. (son-in-law) William Barnes Jr. (grandson) Catharine Weed Barnes (granddaughter)
Children	4
Occupation	Printer, publisher and editor
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States New York
Branch/service	New York Militia
Years of service	1812-1814
Rank	Sergeant
Unit	40th Regiment
Battles/wars	War of 1812

Edward Thurlow Weed (November 15, 1797 – November 22, 1882) was a printer, New York newspaper publisher, and Whig and Republican politician. He was the principal political advisor to prominent New York politician William H. Seward and was instrumental in the presidential nominations of William Henry Harrison (1840), Zachary Taylor (1848), and John C. Frémont (1856).

Born in Cairo, New York, Weed apprenticed as a printer under William Williams and served with him in the War of 1812 before winning election to the New York State Assembly. He met Seward in the assembly, and they formed a close political alliance that lasted for several decades. Weed and Seward became leaders of the New York Anti-Masonic Party, and Weed established the Albany Evening Journal as the party's main newspaper. Weed supported the American System of Henry Clay and helped establish the Whig Party in the 1830s. He helped Seward win election as Governor of New York and supported the successful presidential candidacies of Harrison and Taylor.

Weed led New York's Whigs for much of the 1830s and 1840s but abandoned the party following the passage of the Kansas–Nebraska Act. He helped organize the Republican Party and supported Frémont's nomination at the 1856 Republican National Convention. He led the effort to nominate Seward at the 1860 Republican National Convention, but the convention nominated Abraham Lincoln. After the Civil War, Weed and Seward allied with President Andrew Johnson and supported Johnson's approach to Reconstruction. Weed retired from public life in 1867 and died in 1882.