James G. Blaine was a Republican politician who served as Secretary of State twice in the late 1800s. Prior to his appointment as Secretary of State, he served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and a member of the United States Senate, making him one of the most prominent American politicians of his time. He was also a presidential candidate who ran for President of the United States twice, unsuccessfully in 1876 and 1880, before being nominated in 1884. He was, however, unable to realize his long-held ambition of becoming President of the United States. He was born in West Brownsville, Pennsylvania, and grew up to be a brilliant student with excellent oratory talents. He received great honors at Washington & Jefferson College and began a teaching profession, which he continued for several years before entering politics. He was a charming man who had a successful political career as a Republican, representing Maine in the United States House of Representatives before becoming Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. Despite his failure to become president, he had a key position in American politics as Secretary of State twice. He is regarded with playing a crucial part in the United States’ conquest of Pacific territories and domination over the Caribbean.
Childhood and Adolescence
Ephraim Lyon Blaine and his wife Maria Gillespie had their third child, James Gillespie Blaine, on January 31, 1830 in West Brownsville, Pennsylvania. His father was a landowner and a relatively affluent businessman.
He grew up to be a bright young man who excelled in school. He attended Washington College (now Washington & Jefferson College) in nearby Washington, Pennsylvania, as a youngster, graduating in 1847.
Career of James G. Blaine
In 1848, he began his teaching career at the Western Military Institute in Georgetown, Kentucky, as a professor of mathematics and ancient languages. He was only 18 at the time, and many of his students were much younger!
Despite his early professional ambitions of becoming a lawyer, he found teaching to be a good fit for him. In 1852, he accepted a position as a science and literary teacher at the Pennsylvania Institution for the Instruction of the Blind (now Overbrook School for the Blind).
In 1853, he was offered the position of editor and co-owner of the ‘Kennebec Journal,’ a profitable career transition. He and the other newspaper co-owners avidly backed the newly established Republican Party, which set the tone for the rest of his political career.
He quickly became interested in Republican Party politics, and in 1856 he was elected as a delegate to the inaugural Republican National Convention. He became the editor of the ‘Portland Daily Advertiser’ the following year, and sought for a seat in the Maine House of Representatives in 1858.
In this post, he proved to be popular, and he was re-elected in 1859, 1860, and 1861. In 1859, as his position within the Republican Party grew, he was elected chairman of the Republican state committee.
He was a staunch admirer of President Abraham Lincoln, and he guaranteed that the Maine Legislature voted to establish and equip Union Army troops. In 1861, he was elected Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, and he was re-elected the following year.
In 1863, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives from Maine’s 3rd district. He gained a reputation for parliamentary talents in this capacity, and when the House leadership fell available in 1868, he was chosen speaker of the House.
As speaker, he rose to even greater political prominence, and President Ulysses S. Grant admired him for his oratory abilities and captivating demeanor. Blaine was re-elected Speaker of the House in the 42nd and 43rd Congresses, serving a total of six years as Speaker.
In the 1870s, James G. Blaine became even more politically ambitious, setting his sights on the presidency. He started the 1876 presidential campaign as the favorite, but a rumor of corruption doomed him, despite the fact that there was no substantial evidence to back up the accusation. That year, though, he was able to secure a senate seat in Maine.
He spent the next three years preparing for the next presidential campaign, and in 1880 he ran for the Republican presidential nomination again. He was not successful this time either.
Blaine was appointed Secretary of State by President James A. Garfield. In this capacity, he endeavored to strengthen the Monroe Doctrine by holding an inter-American meeting to explore an arbitration plan to avert hostilities in the Western Hemisphere, which he had previously proposed. Blaine’s ambitions were compromised when the president was assassinated in 1881, and he resigned from his position.
Blaine was finally named the Republican presidential contender in 1884. He was a favorite since he was a seasoned politician. However, he lost the presidential election to Democratic nominee Grover Cleveland by a razor-thin margin.
With the election of Benjamin Harrison as president in 1889, the Republicans regained power. Blaine was nominated for a second term as Secretary of State by Harrison. During this time, Blaine became the first Pan-American Conference’s chairman and attempted to resolve a dispute over Canadian fur seal hunting rights in the Bering Sea. Due to weak health, he retired in 1892.
Major Projects of James G. Blaine
James G. Blaine was a towering figure in Republican politics who, as Secretary of State, played a key part in signaling the end of America’s isolationist foreign policy era and fought tirelessly to promote a more aggressive foreign policy. His expansionist strategies aided America’s acquisition of Pacific territories and establishment of supremacy over the Caribbean.
Personal History and Legacy
He met another teacher, Harriet Stanwood, during his teaching profession, and they married in June 1850. The couple produced seven children, of whom many unfortunately predeceased Blaine.
James G. Blaine’s health deteriorated in his latter years, and he retired from politics in 1892 as a result of his failing health. He died on January 27, 1893, just a few months later.
Estimated Net Worth
James is one of the wealthiest politicians and one of the most well-known. James G Blaine’s net worth is estimated to be $1.5 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.