Henry Winter Davis

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History & Society

Henry Winter Davis

American politician

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Feb 26, 2024 • Article History

Henry Winter Davis

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Category: History & Society

Born:: Aug. 16, 1817, Annapolis, Md., U.S.

Died:: Dec. 30, 1865, Baltimore, Md. (aged 48)

Political Affiliation:: Constitutional Union Party; Know-Nothing party; Republican Party

Role In:: Wade-Davis Bill

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Henry Winter Davis (born Aug. 16, 1817, Annapolis, Md., U.S.—died Dec. 30, 1865, Baltimore, Md.) was a Maryland unionist during the secession crisis, harsh critic of Abraham Lincoln, and coauthor of the congressional plan for Reconstruction during the American Civil War. Davis graduated from Kenyon College and studied law at the University of Virginia. He began his practice in 1840 in Alexandria, Va., but moved to Baltimore in 1849. Intent upon a political career, Davis joined the Whig Party and campaigned for Winfield Scott in 1852. As the Whig Party faded during the 1850s, Davis’s conservatism and apparent lack of ...(100 of 389 words)

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