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Quick facts for kids Fernando Wood
Daguerreotype by Mathew Brady, c. 1855

73rd and 75th Mayor of New York City
In office January 1, 1855 – December 31, 1857
Preceded by	Jacob Aaron Westervelt
Succeeded by	Daniel F. Tiemann
In office January 1, 1860 – December 31, 1861
Preceded by	Daniel F. Tiemann
Succeeded by	George Opdyke
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York
In office March 4, 1867 – February 13, 1881
Preceded by	William A. Darling
Succeeded by	John Hardy
Constituency	9th district (1867–1873) 10th district (1873–1875) 9th district (1875–1881)
In office March 4, 1863 – March 4, 1865
Preceded by	William Wall
Succeeded by	Nelson Taylor
Constituency	5th district
In office March 4, 1841 – March 4, 1843
Preceded by	Edward Curtis
Succeeded by	Jonas P. Phoenix
Constituency	3rd district (Seat B)

Personal details
Born	(1812-06-14)June 14, 1812 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	February 13, 1881(1881-02-13) (aged 68) Hot Springs, Arkansas, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouses	Anna Taylor (m. 1831; div. 1839) Ann Dole Richardson (m. 1841; died 1859) Alice Fenner Mills (m. 1860)
Children	16, including Henry
Relatives	Benjamin Wood (brother)
Signature

Fernando Wood (February 14, 1812 – February 13, 1881) was an American politician from the Democratic Party. He was a merchant and real estate investor. Wood served as the 73rd and 75th Mayor of New York City. He also represented the city for several terms in the United States House of Representatives.

Wood quickly became important in Tammany Hall, a powerful political organization. He served one term in the U.S. House. Then, he focused on his private businesses. He made a lot of money from real estate and shipping.

He was elected mayor for the first time in 1854. He served three terms, but not one after another. As mayor, he wanted to have a lot of power. He also faced accusations of political problems in the city's offices. His ideas for changing the city's rules to make his power stronger caused disagreements. This led to a new city rule that ended his second term early. He was even arrested. He became mayor again for a final term in 1860.

After being mayor, Wood was elected to the House of Representatives again. He served there for sixteen years. In his last two terms, he led the important House Committee on Ways and Means.

Throughout his career, Wood often supported the Southern states. This was true even during the American Civil War. He once suggested that New York City should become an independent city-state. This way, it could keep trading cotton with the Southern states. In the House, he spoke out against President Abraham Lincoln. He was also against the Thirteenth Amendment, which ended slavery in the United States.

Early Life and Family History

Fernando Wood was born in Philadelphia on February 14, 1812. His mother chose his first name from a book.

His father, Benjamin Wood, lost his money in business during a financial crisis in 1819. His mother, Rebecca, was the daughter of an immigrant from Germany.

Fernando had six brothers and sisters. His brother, also named Benjamin Wood, later served in the U.S. Congress too. Benjamin was Fernando's closest helper in politics.

Fernando's family moved often when he was a child. They lived in many cities, including New Orleans and Havana, Cuba. Finally, they settled in New York City in 1821. His father's business failed again by 1829.

Starting His Own Businesses

In New York, Fernando went to a private school. He studied grammar, writing, and math. He left school in 1825 when he was 13. He needed to help his family because his father's business was struggling. For six years, he worked low-paying jobs across the Eastern United States.

In 1831, he married Anna W. Taylor. In 1832, Wood returned to New York City to help his mother's household. He tried to start several businesses, but they often failed. For example, a shipping supply company he started failed during a financial crisis in 1837.

Rising in New York Politics

Even though his businesses struggled, Wood found success in politics. He joined the new Democratic Party. He may have been influenced by his dislike of the Second Bank of the United States.

In 1836, he became a member of the Tammany Society. This was an important step in New York's Democratic Party. Tammany Hall was a powerful political organization.

Tammany Hall had different groups within it. Wood stayed with the main group. He became a leader in the Young Men's Committee. After a financial crisis in 1837, Wood pushed for policies that were against big banks. This was a smart political move. He gained many promotions within the Tammany organization.

Serving in the U.S. House (1841–1843)

Winning the 1840 Election

In October 1840, Wood was nominated to run for the United States House of Representatives. He was only 28 years old. At that time, New York City elected four representatives at once.

Wood campaigned by appealing to Irish voters. He suggested that British investors were funding his opponents. He also faced accusations about how he handled his bank account. Wood said the bank was trying to hurt his campaign.

Wood and his fellow Democrats won the election. Wood won his seat by a small number of votes.

His Time in Congress

In Congress, Wood served on a committee that dealt with public buildings. He looked for advice from important politicians like Henry Clay and Southern Democrats. Wood's voting record showed he often supported policies favored by the Southern states, especially regarding slavery.

On money matters, Wood was a typical Democrat. He supported ideas like free trade. However, he also wanted federal money for New York. This included funds for harbor improvements and the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Wood also strongly supported federal money for Samuel F.B. Morse's new telegraph. He was against high taxes on imported goods.

Wood also asked the U.S. State Department to help Irish political prisoners. Some of these prisoners were American citizens. The British had forced them to move to Tasmania.

The 1842 Election

Wood planned to run for re-election in 1842. But the New York City district was divided into four separate districts.

Wood lived in the new fifth district. Another popular politician, John McKeon, also lived there. To avoid running against McKeon, Wood moved to a different district. He tried to get the Democratic nomination there but did not win.

Becoming a Wealthy Businessman

Wood's career and his support for the South were helped by Senator and later Secretary of State John C. Calhoun.

After 1842, Wood left politics to focus on his shipping business. He needed money because he was expecting his first child.

To get money, Wood asked for a government job as a local shipping agent. He had tried to get rid of this job when he was in Congress. The first Secretary of State said no. But after an accident, John C. Calhoun became Secretary of State. Calhoun gave Wood the job in 1844.

With this government job helping him, Wood grew his business. He bought a new home in Manhattan and hired servants. He mostly stayed out of politics, except to help James K. Polk become president.

The 1844 Presidential Election

Before the 1844 Democratic Convention, Wood secretly helped Martin Van Buren. Supporters of another candidate, Calhoun, invited Wood to their meetings. They asked for his advice on how to win over New York delegates. But Wood secretly shared this information with Van Buren.

After James K. Polk won the nomination, Wood became friends with him again. He campaigned for Polk in New York and other states. Wood used his connections to Polk to keep his government job.

Success in Real Estate

Wood greatly increased his wealth by getting into real estate. In 1848, he bought a large plot of land in New York using his second wife's money. As New York's population grew, land values went up very quickly.

Wood bought more land and soon owned property worth a lot of money. He used this land as security to buy more properties all over Manhattan. Another politician, William Tweed, once said that Wood always seemed to buy the best land first.

By 1855, his wealth was estimated at $200,000. By 1861, it was $500,000. Wood himself reported owning $1,200,000 in 1860.

The California Gold Rush Business

In 1848, during the early days of the California Gold Rush, Wood and four partners rented a ship called the John C. Cater. They planned to sell goods and equipment in San Francisco. They sold the goods at high prices. The ship also made money by carrying passengers and wood between Oregon and San Francisco.

Later, it was found that Wood had tricked his brother-in-law, Edward E. Marvine. He used a fake letter to get money to start the Cater business. Marvine sued Wood for a large amount of money. In 1851, Wood was accused by a grand jury. However, the charges were dropped because of a legal time limit. Wood was ordered to pay Marvine and other partners in 1855. He appealed the decision, and the case lasted for six more years.

Mayor of New York City

Fernando Wood was a very important figure as mayor. He was New York's first modern mayor. He had big plans for the city and was a model for future leaders. He wanted to make the mayor's office stronger and improve the city.

Wood was the first New York City mayor to be closely linked to Tammany Hall.

His First Mayoral Campaign (1850)

Wood first ran for Mayor of New York City in 1850. He had the support of Democrats who believed slavery should be protected where it already existed. He lost the election by a large number of votes.

The 1854 Election

Wood started planning his return to politics in 1853. He tried to get support from different groups within the Democratic Party. He also tried to gain influence with the new Know-Nothing movement. This was unusual because he had a lot of support from immigrant communities.

Wood easily won the nomination for mayor a second time. His connection to the Know-Nothings almost caused problems for his campaign. But he still won the election with 33.6% of the votes.

First Term as Mayor (1855–1856)

In his first two-year term, Wood wanted to make the mayor's office more powerful. He wanted to have "one-man rule." This was so he could modernize the city's economy. He also wanted to improve public services and reduce the gap between rich and poor.

He was very popular in New York and across the country. People called him "the Model Mayor."

During his first term, Wood helped oversee the building of Central Park, shown here in 1868.

However, his reform efforts were soon overshadowed by accusations about how he managed the police force. His political support weakened in the 1855 elections. This left Wood on the defensive for the rest of his term. Still, his idea of a strong mayor and more local control for New York City shaped the city's politics for many years.

He started several big spending projects. These included updating the city's docks with stone structures. He also added new safety features for the city's railways. He oversaw the building of the already planned Central Park. He also expanded the city's street plan.

Running for Governor and Re-election (1856)

Wood supported James Buchanan for president in 1856. He tried to use this support to become the Democratic candidate for Governor of New York. However, Buchanan did not endorse him. State leaders thought Wood was too extreme.

Instead, Wood ran for re-election as mayor. He wanted to change the city's rules. The election campaign was very rough. There were personal attacks and street fights between political gangs. On election day, Wood let many police officers off duty. This allowed his own gang, the Dead Rabbits, to threaten voters and steal ballot boxes. He won the race with 44.6% of the votes. Even though he seemed to misuse his power, a jury decided not to charge him. They said such actions were common in the city's past.

Second Term as Mayor (1857)

Wood's second term was affected by the Great Police riot in June 1857.

In Wood's second term, his control over Tammany Hall fell apart. His handling of the police force led to the Great Police riot and the Dead Rabbits riot.

In April, the state legislature passed a new City Charter. This new rule cut Wood's current term to one year. It also created a new state police unit. Wood decided to fight these changes. He tried to keep his own city police force. This led to a police riot and Wood's arrest on June 16.

The 1857 Election

In the December 1857 election, Tammany Hall joined with other parties to support Daniel F. Tiemann over Wood. A financial crisis in 1857 was a major issue in the campaign. Wood started public works programs to give jobs and food to the city's poor.

Wood lost his bid for a third term by a small number of votes.

Return to Mayoralty and Views on the Confederacy

Wood served a third term as mayor in 1860 and 1861. Wood was one of many New York Democrats who supported the Southern states. These people were sometimes called 'Copperheads'. In 1860, Wood spoke against those who wanted to end slavery. He believed that New York should take care of its own working people first.

In January 1861, Wood suggested that New York City should leave the Union. He wanted it to become a free city. This way, it could continue its profitable cotton trade with the Southern states. The city council did not agree with his idea. New York City businesses wanted to keep their ties with the South, but within the rules of the country.

Back in the U.S. House

After his third term as mayor, Wood served in the House of Representatives again. He was there from 1863 to 1865. Then, he served again from 1867 until his death in Hot Springs, Arkansas on February 13, 1881.

Civil War and Reconstruction Era

Wood was a main opponent of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. This amendment ended slavery. He helped block the measure in the House when it first came up for a vote in June 1864. Wood argued that the amendment would take away property rights. He believed that states should control slavery.

On January 15, 1868, Wood was criticized for using inappropriate language. During a debate, Wood called a piece of legislation "a monstrosity" and "the most infamous of the many infamous acts of this infamous Congress." There was an immediate uproar. A motion was made to formally criticize Wood, which passed by a vote of 114 to 39.

Despite this criticism, Wood still won his re-election that year.

Wood led the Committee on Ways and Means in both the 45th and 46th Congress (1877–1881).

Personal Life

His Personality and Looks

Wood was a tall man for his time, a little over six feet. People who knew him said he was "strikingly handsome." But he dressed simply and did not show much emotion.

His biographer describes him as a very independent man. He had "soaring ambition" and wanted to control people and events.

Marriages and Family

Wood's brother, Benjamin Wood, bought a newspaper called the New York Daily News. He also served in Congress. He was known for being against continuing the American Civil War.

Fernando Wood was married three times and had 16 children. Seven were from his second marriage and nine from his third. One of his children was Henry Alexander Wise Wood.

His first marriage (1831–1839) to Anna Taylor ended in divorce. They had no children.

In 1841, he married Anna Dole Richardson. She died in 1859. Anna was related to William Penn. Her father was a judge and knew important politicians. During his second marriage, Wood and his wife joined the Protestant Episcopal Church.

In 1860, he married Alice Fenner Mills. She was 16 years old and the daughter of a wealthy businessman.

Family History

The Wood family came to America around 1670. Henry Wood, a carpenter and Quaker, moved from Wales to Newport, Rhode Island. He later moved his family to West Jersey.

Fernando Wood's grandfather, Henry Wood, was born in 1758. He fought in the American Revolution as a captain. He was wounded in the battles of Germantown and Yorktown.

Death and What He Left Behind

Wood died in Hot Springs, Arkansas, on February 13, 1881. He was buried in Trinity Church Cemetery in New York, N.Y.

In the movie Lincoln (2012), Fernando Wood is played by Lee Pace. He is shown as a main opponent of President Lincoln and the Thirteenth Amendment.