Horatio Seymour

Horatio Seymour (1810-1886) was an American politician. He was Governor of New York State from 1853-1854 and from 1863-1864.

Seymour was a so-called War Democrat who supported the Union's military cause; however, during his second term as governor, he became a leading Northern opponent of President Abraham Lincoln's administration during the American Civil War. Seymour protested Lincoln's restriction of civil liberties during the Civil War, as well as the Emancipation Proclamation and the Union's military draft. He advocated the vigorous prosecution of the war, but protested against the extensive use of war powers by Lincoln.

Horatio Seymour in The Guns of the South
Horatio Seymour was able to gain the Democratic Party's presidential nomination in the immediate aftermath of the Second American Revolution, running on a ticket with Clement Vallandigham. Seymour narrowly defeated Abraham Lincoln in the 1864 presidential election. The election was a close one, and it was over a week after the election before Seymour's victory was determined.

Under Seymour, the United States shifted its focus away from its southern border towards its northern one. Eventually, the U.S. invaded the Canadas, and began a war with Britain in 1866.

Comment
It was once suggested that Seymour also defeated Lincoln in the Southern Victory series. The primary proponent was Steven H. Silver, who maintains Harry Turtledove's website and established this wiki. Thus, the administrators of this wiki have for some time supported this position.

However, as no canonical evidence was ever produced, the administrators have reconsidered this position. In light of this wiki's speculation policy, all references to Horatio Seymour defeating Abraham Lincoln in the 1864 election in TL-191 have been removed.