Edward Bates was a U.S
Edward Bates
@Lawyers, Family and Facts
Sep 4, 1793
Biography
Personal Details
- Birthday: September 4, 1793
- Died on: March 25, 1869
- Nationality: American
- Famous: Lawyers, Lawyers & Judges, Miscellaneous
- Spouses: Julia Coalter
- Birth Place: Goochland County, Virginia, U.S.
- Gender: Male
Edward Bates born at
Goochland County, Virginia, U.S.
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Birth Place
He married Julia Coalter, the daughter of David Coalter, in 1823. The couple had 17 children and Bates took pride in his large family. He was a loving husband and father—a devoted family man.
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Personal Life
He died in 1869.
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Personal Life
He was born as the twelfth child of Thomas and Caroline Bates in Goochland County, Virginia. Both of his parents were Quakers.
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Childhood & Early Life
His father died when he was a young boy but fortunately he had several elder siblings who took good care of him. He was sent to Charlotte Academy, of St. Mary's County in 1806.
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Childhood & Early Life
He served in the army during the War of 1812 though his mother did not approve of her son taking up arms. So he decided to study law as advised by his brother who was an attorney.
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Childhood & Early Life
He moved to St. Louis and studied law with Rufus Easton who was the Judge of the Louisiana Territory and was admitted to the Bar during the winter of 1816-17.
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Childhood & Early Life
Bates joined Easton as a partner upon his admission to the bar. The partners organized the James Ferry in 1817 which ran from St. Charles to Alton.
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Career
He also began practicing privately and entered politics in 1820 when he was elected as a member of Missouri’s constitutional convention. The same year he also became Missouri’s Attorney General.
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Career
He was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 1822 where he served till 1824. His political aspirations were growing by the day and he was delighted when he was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1827 for one term.
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Career
His political career flourished over the 1830s. In 1831, he was elected to the State Senate where he remained till 1835 before joining the Missouri House from 1835.
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Career
During the 1840s he became a prominent member of the Whig Party. His political philosophy was very similar to that of Henry Clay.
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Career
Edward Bates was a brilliant lawyer who served as the United States Attorney General under President Abraham Lincoln from 1861 to 1864. He played a key role in carrying out the president’s war policies and was very vocal in voicing his opinions even if they were different from the president’s.
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Major Works