William Bilbo facts for kids

William N. Bilbo (born around 1815, died 1867) was an American lawyer, journalist, and businessman. He lived in Tennessee for most of his life, moving north in 1864. Bilbo is most known for helping William H. Seward, who was the Secretary of State for President Abraham Lincoln, work to pass a new law that would end slavery.

Early Life and Work in Tennessee

William Bilbo was born in Virginia. He became a successful lawyer in Nashville, Tennessee. In Nashville, he was also a leader in a political group called the Know-Nothing Party. This party was active in the 1850s and was against immigration.

Bilbo also worked as a journalist for a newspaper called the Nashville Gazette. For a short time, he even owned the paper. He was also a smart businessman. He bought a lot of land that had coal underground. Then, he convinced some rich people from New York to help him start a coal mining company in Tennessee. This company was called the Sewanee Mining Company. Bilbo then sold his land to the company and made a good profit.

Bilbo seemed to support the Confederacy during the American Civil War until 1864. Then, he suddenly moved to the northern states. He knew William H. Seward, who was President Lincoln's Secretary of State. They had known each other from their time in another political group called the Whig Party.

Helping to End Slavery

Because he knew Seward, Bilbo offered to help President Lincoln. He wanted to help get the Thirteenth Amendment passed in Congress. This amendment was very important because it would officially ban slavery across the entire United States.

With Seward's approval, Bilbo went to New York to gather support for the amendment. Bilbo told Seward that he would do everything he could to get the votes needed. He said he would use his energy, time, and money to reach their goal. Bilbo was arrested once because people thought he might be a spy for the Confederacy. But President Lincoln ordered him to be released. It's not fully clear how much Bilbo's efforts changed people's minds about the amendment.

Seward put together a group of people to help get votes, sometimes called the "Seward Lobby." This group worked hard to convince members of Congress, especially Democrats, to vote for the amendment. Besides Bilbo, the group included three other people: Emanuel B. Hart, Robert Latham, and George O. Jones. They all tried to get New York congressmen to support the amendment. Bilbo had some success with Congressman Homer A. Nelson, who did vote for the amendment. After his time in Congress, Nelson was offered a special job in another country as a thank you for his support, but he chose not to take it.

Later Life and Legacy

William Bilbo died in August 1867 from a sickness called dysentery. He was buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Nashville. He left behind his wife, Martha W. Bilbo, and their three children.

In the 2012 movie Lincoln, the character of William Bilbo is played by the actor James Spader. There are no known photographs or paintings of William Bilbo that exist today.