Charles Goodyear (politician)
A New York political operator and banker who navigated the turbulent Civil War era, serving in Congress both before and after the conflict.
1804–1876 (age 72)·American attorney and politician·Birthday: April 26
Biography
Charles Goodyear's political career was a mirror of his state's divided loyalties. A banker and attorney from the bustling port city of Buffalo, he first went to Washington as a Democrat in the 1840s, a time of fierce debate over westward expansion. After a single term, he returned to his business interests. But the coming of the Civil War reshuffled everything. Goodyear, like many War Democrats, put aside party allegiance to support the Union cause. This stance earned him a return ticket to Congress in 1864, where he served during the fraught final year of the war and the chaotic beginning of Reconstruction under President Andrew Johnson. His second term was less about legislation and more about the gritty politics of a nation stitching itself back together, representing a border state deeply entangled in the war's economic and social aftermath. His story is that of a practical, commercially-minded man navigating the most impractical and violent period in American history.
#1 When Charles Was Born
The biggest hits of 1804
Charles's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1804Born
1809Started school
1817Became a teenager
1820Could drive
1822Could vote
1825Turned 21
1834Turned 30
1844Turned 40
1854Turned 50
1864Turned 60
President: Abraham Lincoln
1874Turned 70
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1876Died at 72
President: Ulysses S. Grant
Key Achievements
- Served as a U.S. Representative from New York for two non-consecutive terms, in the 29th Congress (1845-47) and the 39th Congress (1865-67).
- As a War Democrat, he supported the Union war effort during the Civil War, a politically complex position in a divided state.
- Was involved in the banking and commercial development of Buffalo, New York, during a key period of its growth.
Did You Know?
He was a first cousin, once removed, of Charles Goodyear, the inventor of the vulcanization process for rubber.
He was originally buried in Buffalo's Forest Lawn Cemetery, but his remains were later moved to the Goodyear family plot in Connecticut.
His second term in Congress began just months before the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.
He was a delegate to the 1864 Democratic National Convention, which nominated General George B. McClellan to challenge Lincoln.
“The true policy of the country is to foster its industry and protect its labor.”
