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William Seward

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U.S. Secretary of State

The Resume

    (May 16, 1801-October 10, 1872)
    Served as a New York senator (1830-1834)
    Governor of New York (1838-1842)
    U.S. Secretary of State (1861-1869)
    Organized the purchase of Alaska Territory from Russia for $7,200,000 (1867)

Why he might be annoying:

    Radical Republicans saw him as a bad influence on President Abraham Lincoln and attempted to oust him from from his job (1862).
    After the Civil War ended, he began to turn conservative and support laws appeasing Southern whites.
    Alaska was considered a barren wasteland at the time of his purchase.
    His decision to buy Alaska Territory was regarded as so foolish in the 1860's, that people referred to the purchase as 'Seward's Folly.'

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was passionately against slavery.
    He is one of the key Union figures of the Civil War.
    He survived an assassination attempt by one of John Wilkes Booth's conspirators the night Lincoln was shot (April 14, 1865).
    The United States makes so much money today from Alaska, that it could pay back the original purchase price every day.

Credit: Ratman


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 6 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 7 Votes: 42.86% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 9 Votes: 44.44% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 6 Votes: 16.67% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 8 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 7 Votes: 85.71% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 13 Votes: 46.15% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 12 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 13 Votes: 46.15% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 19 Votes: 47.37% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 13 Votes: 38.46% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 18 Votes: 38.89% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 29 Votes: 51.72% Annoying
    In 2008, Out of 42 Votes: 38.10% Annoying
    In 2007, Out of 65 Votes: 55.38% Annoying
    In 2006, Out of 118 Votes: 48.31% Annoying
    In 2005, Out of 202 Votes: 54.46% Annoying
    In 2004, Out of 221 Votes: 46.15% Annoying