Though Abraham Lincoln took center stage in a divided country, a political rival-turned-ally had a major influence on national affairs during the Civil War. William Henry Seward, former governor and U.S. senator, lost the Republican Party nomination for president of the United States in 1860, but aided Lincolns election by touring the country on behalf of the Republican ticket. As the Southern states prepared to withdraw from the Union, Secretary of State Seward sought to unite the country. This biography explores Sewards political power and the theory that, as president, he might have...