SkipCaptcha
35,519
edits
Changes
start
'''William Boyd Allison''' (March 2, 1829 – August 4, 1908), sometimes referred to as '''W. B. Allison''', was a [[Republican]] from northeastern [[Iowa]] who represented the state's 3rd congressional district for four terms and served from the Class III Senate seat from 1873 until his death in 1908.
==Background==
Allison was born near Ashland, Ohio to John Allison and the former Margaret Williams. Shaped in his youth by [[Presbyterian]] faith, involvement in Whig politics, and pursuing success, he moved to [[Pennsylvania]] with his family at one point.<ref name=bio>[http://uipress.lib.uiowa.edu/bdi/DetailsPage.aspx?id=11 Allison, William Boyd]. ''The Biographical Dictionary of Iowa''. Retrieved November 21, 2021.</ref>
In 1854, Allison married the former Anna Carter, who was among the wealthy residents of Ashland.<ref name=bio/> After she died five years later, he would later wed a second time in 1873, marrying Mary Nealley.
==Political career==
While in Ohio, Allison's rise in politics coincided during a period of time where the Whig Party was facing collapse due to internal divisions over [[slavery]]. An [[abolitionist]] and supporter of business interests, he served in conventions to the newly formed [[Republican Party]] as well as the [[Know nothing party|Know Nothing Party]].<ref name=bio/>
Although serving in the 1856 Know Nothing national convention, Allison left the party and joined the Republicans.<ref name=bio/> Following an unsuccessful bid for county attorney, he moved to Dubuque, Iowa, where his older brother resided. Although the city was a stronghold for the [[Democratic Party]] at the time, Allison's ties with a law partnership and a Presbyterian church proved to successfully propel him into the state GOP leadership.<ref name=bio/>
===Rise into national politics, House tenure===
During the [[United States presidential election, 1860|1860 presidential election]], Allison was a delegate to the [[Republican National Convention]] which nominated [[Abraham Lincoln]] and [[Hannibal Hamlin]]. He campaigned heavily for party nominees on both the national and state level during the election cycle, and would be appointed by Governor Samuel J. Kirkwood as a military aide a year later with the outbreak of the [[American Civil War|Civil War]].<ref name=bio/>
The Census of 1860 led to an increase in Iowa's congressional district seats from two to six. In the 1862 midterms, Allison ran for the [[U.S. House of Representatives]] from the third district which included Dubuque, challenging incumbent Republican congressman William Vandever.<ref name=bio/> Benefiting from connections to Kirkwood in addition to railroad interests, he denied Vandever renomination and won the general election.<ref>[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=474731 IA - District 03 Race - Oct 14, 1862]. ''Our Campaigns''. Retrieved November 21, 2021.</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Allison, William B.}}
[[Category:Iowa]]
[[Category:Republican Party]]
[[Category:Former United States Representatives]]
[[Category:Former United States Senators]]
==Background==
Allison was born near Ashland, Ohio to John Allison and the former Margaret Williams. Shaped in his youth by [[Presbyterian]] faith, involvement in Whig politics, and pursuing success, he moved to [[Pennsylvania]] with his family at one point.<ref name=bio>[http://uipress.lib.uiowa.edu/bdi/DetailsPage.aspx?id=11 Allison, William Boyd]. ''The Biographical Dictionary of Iowa''. Retrieved November 21, 2021.</ref>
In 1854, Allison married the former Anna Carter, who was among the wealthy residents of Ashland.<ref name=bio/> After she died five years later, he would later wed a second time in 1873, marrying Mary Nealley.
==Political career==
While in Ohio, Allison's rise in politics coincided during a period of time where the Whig Party was facing collapse due to internal divisions over [[slavery]]. An [[abolitionist]] and supporter of business interests, he served in conventions to the newly formed [[Republican Party]] as well as the [[Know nothing party|Know Nothing Party]].<ref name=bio/>
Although serving in the 1856 Know Nothing national convention, Allison left the party and joined the Republicans.<ref name=bio/> Following an unsuccessful bid for county attorney, he moved to Dubuque, Iowa, where his older brother resided. Although the city was a stronghold for the [[Democratic Party]] at the time, Allison's ties with a law partnership and a Presbyterian church proved to successfully propel him into the state GOP leadership.<ref name=bio/>
===Rise into national politics, House tenure===
During the [[United States presidential election, 1860|1860 presidential election]], Allison was a delegate to the [[Republican National Convention]] which nominated [[Abraham Lincoln]] and [[Hannibal Hamlin]]. He campaigned heavily for party nominees on both the national and state level during the election cycle, and would be appointed by Governor Samuel J. Kirkwood as a military aide a year later with the outbreak of the [[American Civil War|Civil War]].<ref name=bio/>
The Census of 1860 led to an increase in Iowa's congressional district seats from two to six. In the 1862 midterms, Allison ran for the [[U.S. House of Representatives]] from the third district which included Dubuque, challenging incumbent Republican congressman William Vandever.<ref name=bio/> Benefiting from connections to Kirkwood in addition to railroad interests, he denied Vandever renomination and won the general election.<ref>[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=474731 IA - District 03 Race - Oct 14, 1862]. ''Our Campaigns''. Retrieved November 21, 2021.</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Allison, William B.}}
[[Category:Iowa]]
[[Category:Republican Party]]
[[Category:Former United States Representatives]]
[[Category:Former United States Senators]]