William Claflin (March 6, 1818 – January 5, 1905) was an American politician, industrialist, and philanthropist from

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

. He served as the 27th

governor of Massachusetts The governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the head of government of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The governor is the chief executive, head of the state cabinet and the commander-in-chief of the commonw ...

from 1869 to 1872 and as a member of the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...

from 1877 to 1881. He also served as chairman of the

Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee (RNC) is the primary committee of the Republican Party of the United States. Its members are chosen by the state delegations at the national convention every four years. It is responsible for developing and pr ...

from 1868 to 1872, serving as a moderating force between the

Radical Radical (from Latin: ', root) may refer to: Politics and ideology Politics *Classical radicalism, the Radical Movement that began in late 18th century Britain and spread to continental Europe and Latin America in the 19th century *Radical politics ...

and

moderate Moderate is an ideological category which entails centrist views on a liberal-conservative spectrum. It may also designate a rejection of radical or extreme views, especially in regard to politics and religion. Political position Canad ...

wings of the Republican Party. His name is given to

Claflin University Claflin University is a private historically black university in Orangeburg, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1869 after the American Civil War by northern missionaries for the education of freedmen and their children, it offers bachelo ...

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

, a

historically black college Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of serving African Americans. Most are in the Southern U ...

founded with funding from him and his father. Claflin was educated at

Brown University Brown University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the List of colonial colleges, seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the ' ...

and worked in his father's shoe manufacturing business before becoming a partner in it. An opponent of slavery, he helped establish the state's

Free Soil Party The Free Soil Party, also called the Free Democratic Party or the Free Democracy, was a political party in the United States from 1848 to 1854, when it merged into the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party. The party was focused o ...

before dominating the state's Republican Party establishment in the 1860s. He supported a number of social reforms, including increased property and voting rights for women, and he was the state's first governor to actively support full women's suffrage.Moody, p. 111 He supported many charitable causes and promoted the development of the village Newtonville, where his country estate was located.

Early years and business

William Claflin was born on March 6, 1818, in

Milford, Massachusetts Milford is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 30,379 according to the 2020 census. First settled in 1662 and incorporated in 1780, Milford became a booming industrial and quarrying community in the 19th ...

, to Lee and Sarah Watkins (Adams) Claflin. Lee Claflin was a self-made proprietor of a tannery and shoe factory in Milford, and a politically active

abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world. The first country to fully outlaw slavery was Kingdom of France, France in 1315, but it was later used ...

. William was educated first in the local schools and then at Milford Academy, before he enrolled in

in 1833. His mother died in 1834 and his health was poor, so he left school and entered his father's business. After three years, with his health not improving, he traveled to

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...

, where from 1838 to 1844 he worked in the wholesale leather goods business. He then returned to Massachusetts after his health improved, where he rejoined the family business and settled in Hopkinton.Ensign, p. 112 Claflin's father had begun his shoe manufacturing in partnership with Nathan Parker Coburn, and William joined their partnership, forming a business that lasted into the 1890s. They expanded the business Lee Claflin founded, eventually building one of New England's largest boot factories in South

Framingham Framingham () is a city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. Incorporated in 1700, it is located in Middlesex County and the MetroWest subregion of the Greater Boston metropolitan area. The city proper covers with a popula ...

in 1882. Claflin and Coburn would remain in active partnership until 1878, when Claflin withdrew from active participation, and their partnership was finally dissolved at the end of 1891 with Coburn's retirement. The company assets, including plants in Framingham, Hopkinton, and Milford, were then taken over by younger partners.

Politics

Claflin followed his father in both politics and his

methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

religion, opposing the expansion of slavery and promoting other social reforms. He was a member of the "Bird Club", a political organization formed by businessman Francis W. Bird, whose members dominated much of the politics of the state between the 1850s and 1870s. Its members were predominantly wealthy businessmen who favored abolition and engaged in philanthropic social reforms. In 1848 Claflin helped found the

in Massachusetts, under whose banner he won election to the

Massachusetts House of Representatives The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into ...

that year. He served from 1849 to 1853,Ensign, p. 113 when the

Know Nothings The American Party, known as the Native American Party before 1855 and colloquially referred to as the Know Nothings, or the Know Nothing Party, was an Old Stock nativist political movement in the United States in the 1850s. Members of the m ...

(who he refused to join) swept away the old parties. He became active in 1854 and 1855 in the founding of the state Republican Party, and served as its state chairman for a number of years. He was elected to the state senate in 1859 as a Republican, and became Senate President in 1861. He developed a close political association and friendship with fellow Free Soiler and Republican

Henry Wilson Henry Wilson (born Jeremiah Jones Colbath; February 16, 1812 – November 22, 1875) was the 18th vice president of the United States, serving from 1873 until his death in 1875, and a United States Senate, senator from Massachusetts from 1855 to ...

, and was one of the dominant forces in the state Republican Party establishment in the 1860s. In 1865 Claflin was elected Lieutenant Governor under Governor Alexander Hamilton Bullock, winning reelection on the same ticket two times.Ensign, p. 114 He was elected governor in 1868, and served three terms in that office, defeating

John Quincy Adams II John Quincy Adams II (September 22, 1833 – August 14, 1894) was an American politician who represented Quincy in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1866 to 1867, 1868 to 1869, 1871 to 1872, and from 1874 to 1875. Adams served as ...

each time.Hart, p. 4:595 Claflin was the first governor to actively support and promote full

women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the women's rights, right of women to Suffrage, vote in elections. Several instances occurred in recent centuries where women were selectively given, then stripped of, the right to vote. In Sweden, conditional women's suffra ...

. He successfully extended to women greater rights under the law, especially in the areas of divorce and contract law. He advocated

prison reform Prison reform is the attempt to improve conditions inside prisons, improve the effectiveness of a penal system, reduce recidivism or implement alternatives to incarceration. It also focuses on ensuring the reinstatement of those whose lives are ...

, creating a Board of Prison Commissioners, and established the state's first board of public health. In a bid to retain labor support threatened by the nascent Labor Reform Party, the Republican legislature created a bureau of labor statistics, the first such body in the nation. Claflin opposed state funding support for the Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad, vetoing a loan for that railroad, while the state was otherwise lending financial support to the construction of the

Hoosac Tunnel The Hoosac Tunnel (also called Hoosic or Hoosick Tunnel) is a active Rail transport, railroad tunnel in western Massachusetts that passes through the Hoosac Range, an extension of Vermont's Green Mountains. It runs in a straight line from its ...

. The veto was a politically costly move, which, combined with the loss of labor votes to the Labor Reform Party, resulted in the lowest margin of victory for a Republican to date in governor's races in the 1870 election. As a result of this poor showing, Claflin was perceived as a weak candidate for reelection, and refused to stand in 1871; he also did not attend the state nominating convention. The Republican nomination went to the eventual election victor, William B. Washburn. Washburn's election signalled an end to the influence of the Bird Club as a unifying force in state Republican politics. During the 1860s, Claflin remained active at high levels of party politics, gaining appointment to the national executive committee of the Republican Party in 1864. In that role, he was a critical mediating force between radical and conservative factions of the party, promoting the moderate

Schuyler Colfax Schuyler Colfax Jr. ( ; March 23, 1823January 13, 1885) was an American journalist, businessman, and politician who served as the 17th vice president of the United States from 1869 to 1873, and prior to that as the 25th Speaker of the United Sta ...

for vice president under

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was the 18th president of the United States, serving from 1869 to 1877. In 1865, as Commanding General of the United States Army, commanding general, Grant led the Uni ...

in the 1868 election. In 1868 he was elected chairman of the national party.Goldman, p. 117 He reluctantly promoted Grant for president in the 1872 election, unhappy that Grant had given patronage power in Massachusetts to the controversial ex-general

Benjamin Butler Benjamin Franklin Butler (November 5, 1818 – January 11, 1893) was an American major general (United States), major general of the Union Army, politician, lawyer, and businessman from Massachusetts. Born in New Hampshire and raised in Lowell, ...

. He stepped back from the chairmanship when Henry Wilson received the vice presidential nomination. Along with his father, Claflin donated funds to purchase land for

, the historically black Methodist university in

. The university was founded in 1869, and was named in his father's honor. Claflin was also a significant supporter of higher education for women, signing charters for

Wellesley College Wellesley College is a Private university, private Women's colleges in the United States, historically women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1870 by Henr ...

and

Mount Holyoke College Mount Holyoke College is a Private college, private Women's colleges in the United States, women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in South Hadley, Massachusetts, United States. It is the oldest member of the h ...

, both women's colleges, while governor. He sat on the boards of trustees at some point for many of these schools, as well as

Wesleyan University Wesleyan University ( ) is a Private university, private liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut, United States. It was founded in 1831 as a Men's colleges in the United States, men's college under the Methodi ...

(which his father also helped found) and

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

, both of which gave him honorary degrees.

Later years

Claflin returned to business and supported philanthropic activities (many related to the Methodist Church, in which he was active) after leaving Congress. He died on January 5, 1905, at his home in Newton, and was buried in Newton Cemetery. He married twice. His first marriage was in 1839 to Nancy (Warren) Harding of Milford, with whom he had a daughter before she died in 1842. The second, in 1845, was to Mary Bucklin of Hopkinton, with whom he had five children, only two of whom survived him. His son Adams Claflin played a major role in the provision of streetcar service to Newton. Claflin was a major force in the development of the village of Newtonville in

Newton, Massachusetts Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located roughly west of Downtown Boston, and comprises a patchwork of thirteen villages. The city borders Boston to the northeast and southeast (via the neighborhoods of ...

. In 1854 he purchased a farm that had once been owned by two governors:

Simon Bradstreet Simon Bradstreet (baptized March 18, 1603/4In the Julian calendar, then in use in England, the year began on March 25. To avoid confusion with dates in the Gregorian calendar, then in use in other parts of Europe, dates between January and Ma ...

(a 17th-century governor of the

Massachusetts Bay Colony The Massachusetts Bay Colony (1628–1691), more formally the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, was an English settlement on the east coast of North America around Massachusetts Bay, one of the several colonies later reorganized as the Province of M ...

), and

William Hull William Hull (June 24, 1753 – November 29, 1825) was an American military officer and politician. A veteran of the American Revolutionary War, he later served as governor of the Michigan Territory (1805–1813), where he negotiated land cessi ...

, governor of the

Michigan Territory The Territory of Michigan was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 30, 1805, until January 26, 1837, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Michigan. Detroit ...

.Ensign, p. 115 Claflin moved Hull's mansion to one side of the property and built a new one on the old foundation. He subdivided portions of the estate for development, and was responsible for the construction of the Claflin Block in Newtonville. After his death the local civic improvement association purchased the rest of Claflin's estate and gave it to the town. The site is now the location of the

Newton North High School Newton North High School, formerly Newton High School, is the larger and longer-established of two public high schools in Newton, Massachusetts, United States, the other being Newton South High School. It is located in the village of Newtonvill ...

athletic fields. Newtonville's Claflin School is named in his honor.

Notes

References

* * * * * * (five volume history of Massachusetts until the early 20th century) * * * * * * *

External links

US Congressional Biography"A Tribute to the Hon. William Claflin LLD"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Claflin, William Republican Party governors of Massachusetts Lieutenant governors of Massachusetts Massachusetts Free Soilers Methodists from Massachusetts People from Milford, Massachusetts Politicians from Newton, Massachusetts 1818 births 1905 deaths

William Claflin William Claflin (March 6, 1818 – January 5, 1905) was an American politician, industrialist, and philanthropist from Massachusetts. He served as the 27th governor of Massachusetts from 1869 to 1872 and as a member of the United States Congre ...