Welcome to Missouri, where history echoes through the stories of influential figures like Edward Bates. Born on September 4, 1793, in Goochland County, Virginia, Bates moved to St. Louis in 1814, where he laid the foundations of his illustrious career. As a young man, Bates studied law and quickly rose to prominence, making significant contributions to Missouri and U.S. history.
In 1820, Bates was appointed as Missouri’s first state Attorney General, marking the beginning of a long and varied public service career. He was a pivotal figure in the drafting of Missouri’s state constitution, writing its preamble and helping shape the state’s legal framework. Bates also served a term in the U.S. House of Representatives between 1827 and 1829, and was a prominent member of the Whig Party during the 1840s.
One of Bates’s most notable achievements was his role as U.S. Attorney General under President Abraham Lincoln from 1861 to 1864. As a member of Lincoln’s ‘team of rivals,’ Bates played a critical role in the administration during the tumultuous years of the Civil War. Despite political differences, he and Lincoln worked together on early war policies, although Bates opposed the Emancipation Proclamation.
Bates’s commitment to justice is highlighted by his representation of Lucy Delaney in a successful freedom suit, which underscored his complex views on slavery and civil rights. Despite being a slaveholder himself, he freed his own slaves and opposed the Kansas-Nebraska Act, showcasing his nuanced stance on slavery.
After resigning in 1864, Bates continued to influence Missouri’s legal and political landscape until his death in 1869. His legacy is commemorated in Forest Park, St. Louis, among monuments celebrating Civil War-era figures.
This narrative encapsulates the story of a man whose life was intertwined with the formative years of Missouri and the United States, leaving an indelible mark on history.
