Thurlow Weed
| Thurlow Weed | |
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| Born |
November 15, 1797 Cairo, Greene County, New York |
| Died | November 22, 1882 (aged 85) New York City, New York |
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Thurlow Weed (November 15, 1797 – November 22, 1882) was a New York newspaper publisher and Whig and Republican politician. He was the principal political advisor to the prominent New York politician William H. Seward and was instrumental in the presidential nominations of William Henry Harrison (1840), Henry Clay (1844), Zachary Taylor (1848), Winfield Scott (1852), and John Charles Frémont (1856).
Weed was born into a family of farmers in Cairo, Greene County, New York on November 15, 1797. He received little formal schooling, and spent much of his youth working as a cabin boy on boats that traveled the Hudson River, as a blacksmith's helper, and as an errand boy in a print shop. After his family moved to central New York Weed was apprenticed to a printer.
Although he was quite young at the time, Weed served in the War of 1812 as quartermaster sergeant of the 40th Regiment of the New York State Militia, working under quartermaster officer George Petrie during operations in and around Sackets Harbor. After the war he ran the printing presses for the Albany Register.
Weed became interested in politics while working with the newspaper, and was an early supporter of DeWitt Clinton. In 1824, he was a strong supporter of the presidential bid of John Quincy Adams, and used his influence for Adams' victory in New York. Weed was elected that year to the New York State Assembly, representing a district in the Albany area. While serving in the Assembly, he met and befriended William H. Seward, whose legal and political careers were just beginning.
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