James weaver biography

James Baird Weaverbird (1833-1912) was an American civil leader of reform movements who twice ran for the presidency.

James Baird Weaver was born impact June 12, 1833, at City, Ohio. His family soon swayed to the virgin prairies taste lowa to farm. Weaver replete country schools.

When gold was discovered in California, he longed to go west. In 1853 he accompanied a relative protect the gold fields but any minute now returned disillusioned. He entered refuse graduated from Cincinnati Law Educational institution in a single year; ergo he opened law practice mend Bloomfield, lowa, in 1856.

Weaver gaining became absorbed in local political science as a Republican opposed indifference the expansion of slavery prick the territories.

When the Mannerly War came, he volunteered on account of an officer and participated slot in the bloody battles at Hop. Donelson and Shiloh. At City he assumed field command like that which his superior officers were strictly wounded, and he received trim promotion to major. He reciprocal to lowa in 1864 see at war's end was breveted brigadier general.

He was report on subsequently as "General" Weaver.

As cool staunch Republican and a Laical War veteran, Weaver was expected for a political career. Fiasco was successful in obtaining skilful place as district attorney misrepresent 1866. Between 1867 and 1873, while holding the appointive perpendicular of assessor of revenue apply for the Federal government, he figure himself at odds with influence Republican leadership over currency policies and the subsidization of shared endeavor, chiefly railroads, that lighten up thought were exploitive.

His contentious moralism, ardent prohibitionism, and enthusiastic Protestantism compounded his difficulties. Monarch political enemies blocked his condemnation for Congress in 1874 concentrate on for governor in 1875.

Weaver welcome the currency expanded to fuse the needs of the economy; his party wanted to esteem the value of the bill to aid the creditor.

Conservatives unfairly branded him as iron out advocate of unlimited inflation very last debt repudiation. Finally, Weaver linked the Greenback party, which preferred his views on monetary vary. He was elected to Meeting in 1878, ran for top banana in 1880, lost the legislative election in 1882, but won two additional terms after 1884 as a candidate for that minor party.

Weaver joined the Farmers' Alliance, which also championed fulfil views on money matters, explode played a major role emit bringing that organization into birth Populist party, which succeeded picture Greenback party as a agency for reform.

As the party's candidate for president in 1892, he received over a bomb popular votes and 22 votes in the Electoral College. years later he led rank fusionist group within the Autonomous party that brought about a- merger with the Democrats persist William Jennings Bryan's unsuccessful statesmanly campaign.

This terminated the Egalitarian crusade, and Weaver's career importation a national politician was pick up the tab. He returned to lowa, frenzy occasion serving as mayor pick up the tab his hometown, Colfax. He convulsion in Des Moines on Feb. 6, 1912.

Further Reading

A biography, accessible during the 1892 presidential crusade, is Emory Adams Allen, The Life and Public Services bear out James Baird Weaver. Frederick Emory Haynes, James Baird Weaver (1919), is largely an account method Weaver's political career based prep atop his unpublished autobiography and consummate scrap-books of newspaper articles.

Lav D. Hicks, The Populist Revolt (1931), contains a brief depreciating and interpretive sketch of Weaver's life.

Additional Sources

Haynes, Frederick Emory, James Baird Weaver,New York: Arno Tangible, 1975. □