Erastus Corning
Erastus Corning | |
|---|---|
Portrait of Erastus Corning by Mathew Brady, c. 1860 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 14th district | |
| In office March 4, 1861 – October 5, 1863 | |
| Preceded by | John H. Reynolds |
| Succeeded by | John V. L. Pruyn |
| In office March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1859 | |
| Preceded by | Samuel Dickson |
| Succeeded by | John H. Reynolds |
| Member of the New York Senate from the 3rd district | |
| In office 1842–1845 | |
| Preceded by | Friend Humphrey |
| Succeeded by | William H. Van Schoonhoven |
| Mayor of Albany, New York | |
| In office 1834–1837 | |
| Preceded by | Francis Bloodgood |
| Succeeded by | Teunis Van Vechten |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 14, 1794 |
| Died | April 9, 1872 (aged 77) Albany, New York, US |
| Resting place | Albany Rural Cemetery Menands, New York |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Harriet Weld (m. 1819) |
| Relations | Edwin Corning (grandson) Parker Corning (grandson) Erastus Corning 2nd (great-grandson) Edwin Corning Jr. (great-grandson) |
| Children | 5 |
| Profession |
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Erastus Corning (December 14, 1794 – April 9, 1872) was an American businessman and politician from Albany, New York. A Democrat, he was most notable for his service as mayor of Albany from 1834 to 1837, in the New York State Senate from 1842 to 1845, and two nonconsecutive terms in the United States House of Representatives from 1857 to 1859, and from 1861 to 1863.
Corning was a delegate to the 1860 Democratic National Convention and to the Peace Conference of 1861, which attempted to prevent the American Civil War. Though he was a Democrat and President Abraham Lincoln was a Republican, once the war started, Corning supported the Union while also criticizing what he viewed as the Lincoln administration's excesses.