Austin Blair

Republican Representative of Michigan's 3rd district

  • Representative

    Michigan, district 3

    March 4, 1871 - March 3, 1873

3

Congresses Served

3

House Terms

February 8, 1818 (76 years old)

Birthday

August 6, 1894

Death

  • Served as the 13th governor of Michigan during the Civil War era, earning the nickname “Civil War Governor.”
  • Known for his strong opposition to slavery and secession.
  • Advocated for the rights of women and black citizens to vote, as well as for the abolition of capital punishment.
  • Born in a log cabin in Caroline, New York, and later moved to Michigan, where he began his political career.
  • Attended Cazenovia Seminary and Hamilton College before transferring to Union College, where he graduated in 1839.
  • Studied law and was admitted to the bar in Tioga County, New York, in 1841.
  • Elected as the clerk of Eaton County in 1842 and later served in the Michigan State House of Representatives and the Michigan Senate.
  • Was a delegate to the Free Soil Party National Convention in 1848.
  • Married Sarah L. Ford in 1849, with whom he had four sons.
  • Played a significant role in organizing the Republican Party in Michigan in 1854.
  • As governor, he recommended that Michigan offer its military resources to President Lincoln and was instrumental in organizing troops for the Union Army during the Civil War.
  • After his governorship, served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1867 to 1873.
  • Was a member of the University of Michigan board of regents from 1881 to 1889.
  • Ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate and for Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court.
  • Died in Jackson, Michigan, and is interred at Mt. Evergreen Cemetery.
  • Honored with a statue in front of the Michigan State Capitol building and has a township in Grand Traverse County named after him.