Henry Taylor Blow

Republican Representative of Missouri's 2nd district

Congresses Served

House Terms

July 15, 1817 (58 years old)

Birthday

September 11, 1875

Death

Served two terms as a U.S. Representative and was an ambassador to Venezuela and Brazil.
Born to a family that owned Dred Scott, an enslaved man who famously sued for his freedom.
Moved to St. Louis, Missouri, as a child and entered the business world after his parents’ deaths.
Became a successful businessman, involved in the paint and oil industry, mining and smelting, and the railroad industry.
Supported Dred Scott’s legal battle for freedom and was an abolitionist.
Joined the Republican Party in 1854, served in the Missouri Senate, and was a delegate at the convention that nominated Abraham Lincoln.
Appointed as Minister to Venezuela by Abraham Lincoln and later served as ambassador to Brazil under Ulysses S. Grant.
Served on the Joint Committee on Reconstruction, contributing to the drafting of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Married Minerva Grimsley and had nine children; encouraged his daughters to pursue education.
Converted to Catholicism and ensured Dred Scott was buried in a Catholic cemetery.
Died three months after his wife, with whom he had been married for 35 years.
Contributed to the establishment of various organizations and institutions in St. Louis.
Honored with a street and a school named after him in St. Louis and Washington, D.C., respectively.