My Name is William H. Seward: Secretary of State and Servant of the Union I was born on May 16, 1801, in the small village of Florida in the state of New York. My father, Samuel Seward, was a respected doctor and judge, and from him I learned the importance of education and public service. As a boy, I spent many hours reading books and listening to the discussions of adults who spoke about politics, law, and the future of our young nation. The United States was still growing and finding its...

The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson A President from Tennessee: Andrew Johnson’s Unusual Rise to Power Andrew Johnson’s story began far from the halls of power in Washington. Born in 1808 in Raleigh, North Carolina, Johnson grew up in deep poverty. His father died when Andrew was young, leaving his family struggling to survive. As a boy he was apprenticed to a tailor, learning a trade that would shape much of his early life. Unlike many future politicians of his time, Johnson had almost no...

My Name is Henry Highland Garnet: Abolitionist Minister and Advocate for Freedom My name is Henry Highland Garnet, and I was born into slavery in Kent County, Maryland, in the year 1815. My parents, George and Henny Garnet, were enslaved people who longed deeply for freedom. Life under slavery was harsh and uncertain. Families could be separated, and the law gave enslaved people very few rights. Yet even in those difficult circumstances, my parents believed strongly that freedom was worth...