Edward Everett | |
---|---|
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 4th district | |
In office March 4, 1825 – March 3, 1835 | |
Preceded by | Timothy Fuller |
Succeeded by | Samuel Hoar |
15th Governor of Massachusetts | |
In office January 13, 1836 – January 18, 1840 | |
Lieutenant | George Hull |
Preceded by | Samuel Turell Armstrong (acting) |
Succeeded by | Marcus Morton |
20th United States Secretary of State | |
In office November 6, 1852 – March 3, 1853 | |
President | Millard Fillmore |
Preceded by | Daniel Webster |
Succeeded by | William L. Marcy |
United States Senator from Massachusetts | |
In office March 4, 1853 – June 1, 1854 | |
Preceded by | John Davis |
Succeeded by | Julius Rockwell |
Personal details | |
Born | Boston, Massachusetts | April 11, 1794
Died | January 15, 1865 Boston, Massachusetts | (aged 70)
Political party | Whig |
Spouse(s) | Charlotte Gray Brooks |
Children | Anne Gorham Everett Charlotte Brooks Everett Grace Webster Everett Edward Brooks Everett Henry Sidney Everett William Everett |
Alma mater | Harvard University |
Occupation | Politician, educator |
Edward Everett (April 11, 1794– January 15, 1865) was an American politician, religious leader and educator from Massachusetts. He was a Whig. He served as U.S. Representative, and U.S. Senator, the 15th Governor of Massachusetts, Minister to Great Britain, and United States Secretary of State. He also taught at Harvard University and was as president of Harvard. He was the Vice-Presidential candidate of the Constitutional Union Party in 1860. He gave a long speech at Gettysburg right before Abraham Lincoln.
When Abraham Lincoln became president, the Civil War broke out. Everett had been calmer about slavery, but he was a strong Unionist. He worked hard to raise support for the Union through speaking in public. In November 1863, when the military cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania was dedicated, Everett was the main speaker. His two-hour speech was before the much shorter, but now more famous Gettysburg Address by President Lincoln. Everett was moved by the short speech and wrote to Lincoln, "I should be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion, in two hours, as you did in two minutes."[1]