On this day in 1805, Jacob Merritt Howard was born. A Michigan lawmaker and U.S. senator, he helped draft the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments alongside President Lincoln.
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On this day in 1805, Jacob Merritt Howard was born. Though the name may not be as iconic as Hancock or Hamilton, Howard could be one of the most influential individuals on the American constitution. He helped draft and pass the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments. As a young man he served in the nearly bloodless Toledo War, but afterwards, he became a member of the Michigan legislature and was elected to congress in 1840. In 1861 Howard became a US senator, where he worked closely with President Lincoln to draft the 13th amendment abolishing chattel slavery. Ultimately, he believed the only way to eradicate slavery was for the states to go to war. Howard died less than a month after leaving the senate in April of 1871, and is buried at Elmwood Cemetery in Detroit.