Blaine, James Gillespie (1830-1893), was an important American political leader for many years. He was called the Plumed Knight by American lawyer Robert G. Ingersoll, who supported him for President of the United States in 1876. Blaine sought the Republican nomination for President that year but lost to Rutherford B. Hayes.
Blaine was born on Jan. 31, 1830, in West Brownsville, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Washington College in Pennsylvania. He settled in Maine in 1854 and became part owner of the Kennebec Journal. He was later an editor of the Portland Advertiser. An early supporter of the new Republican Party, Blaine was elected to Maine’s legislature in 1858.
Four years later, Blaine was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. He served as speaker of the House from 1869 to 1875. In 1876, charges that he had used his position as speaker for personal gain helped ruin Blaine’s campaign for the presidency. That same year, however, he was elected to the U.S. Senate. In 1880, Blaine again sought the Republican nomination for president but lost to James A. Garfield. Blaine served nine months as Garfield’s secretary of state.
Blaine finally received the Republican presidential nomination in 1884 but lost the election to Democratic nominee Grover Cleveland. Once again, charges of political dishonesty hurt Blaine in his attempt to become President. Blaine served as secretary of state in President Benjamin Harrison’s Cabinet from 1889 to 1892. As secretary, Blaine concluded a treaty with Germany concerning Samoa and promoted U.S. leadership in the Western Hemisphere in the first Pan American Conference. In 1892, Blaine again sought the Republican presidential nomination but lost. He died on Jan. 27, 1893.
