Secretary of State under Presidents Lincoln and Johnson, William H. Seward had many more credits to his name than the purchase of Alaska in 1867. Abraham Lincoln trusted Seward's advice on domestic issues, most notably the timing of the Emancipation Proclamation. John Wilkes Booth had targeted Seward as well as Lincoln in the assassination plot. Although severely wounded, Seward survived the attack. Continuing in his cabinet position for Andrew Johnson, Lincoln's successor, Seward backed the president against radical Republican attacks. In addition to the purchase of Alaska, Seward advocated the acquisition of the Danish West Indies (Virgin Islands) and Hawaii.

William Henry Seward