Henry Wilson, "The cobbler from Natick", was US Grants second Vice President, and author of a book on the history of slavery in America. 

He was born in 1812 in Farmington New Hampshire and was named Jeremiah Jones Colbath. His father had named him after a financially successful bachelor neighbor in hopes of getting an inheritance for his son. Young “Jeremiah learned to hate the name and promised himself he would change it as soon as he was of age. 

His father, who was out of work most of the time, made a deal with a neighboring farmer and “Jeremiah” was signed on as an apprentice at age 10 with an obligation to work until he was 21 years old. He was only allowed one month out of the year to attend school. His little bit of formal education included the Strafford, Wolfeboro, and Concord academies but never graduated. He did however supplement his education by reading any book he could find in the farmhouse or borrow from a neighbor. His favorite subjects were history, biographies, and philosophy. 

Remembering his fathers drinking problem, “Jeremiah”, at age 19, swore that he would never consume alcohol. 

In 1833 he changed his name to Henry Wilson. He looked for work in New Hampshire, then when he couldn’t find what he wanted he walked over 100 miles to Boston Massachusetts. When he got there he met a friend who taught him the skills of shoe making. He became a cobblers apprentice and eventually saved enough money to own his own shop in Natick and hired contract laborers. 

He treated himself to a trip to Washington D.C. hoping to see the Congress, the White House and all the making of the government that he had read about. Instead his attention focused on the Negro slaves that he saw across the Potomac in Virginia, and the slave pens with in sight of the Capitol building. He was shocked by what he saw and swore he would dedicate his life to the abolition of slavery. 

When he returned to Natick he became interested in politics and joined the Natick Debating Society. He was a strong advocate for temperance, educational reform, and the abolition of slavery. 

Instead of joining the Democrats, as did most working class people Wilson joined the Whigs. In 1841, as a candidate for the Massachusetts state legislature he was nicknamed “The cobbler from Natick”. He was able to appeal to factory workers, and others who usually voted for the Democrats. He was elected to the Massachusetts legislature, and served from until 1852. 

Wilson had been investing money in the Boston Republic newspaper, and served as its editor from 1848 to 1851. During this time he joined the Natick militia and was made a General, a title he would proudly claim for the rest of his life. 

He was an unsuccessful candidate for the US Congress in 1852, and failed in his attempt to become the governor of Massachusetts in 1853. But his political luck changed when a coalition of Free Soilers, American Party, and Democrats elected him to the US Senate in 1855 to fill the vacancy left by retiring senator Edward Everett (Everett was one of the most popular speakers of his time. He spoke for two hours at Gettysburg before Lincoln's famous address). He was reelected to the Senate as a member of the new Republican party in 1859, and continued in office until he became Vice President in 1873. As a Senator Wilson became a member of the Radical Republicans and pushed for full civil and political rights for the freed Negroes. 

At the start of the Civil war Senator Wilson returned to Massachusetts, organized a infantry regiment, and was commissioned as their Colonel. He marched his troops back to Washington D.C., and then he went back to his office in the Senate. 

When Union troops moved south in to Virginia at Manassas, for what became the Battle of Bull Run, Senator Wilson had packed a basket full of sandwiches and took them by carriage to the troops. In what came to be known as “The Picnic” battle” the Union troops were routed and Wilson’s carraige was crushed. He was forced to make a hasty retreat back to Washington. 

As the election of 1864 approached Wilson thought that Lincoln should be replaced on the ticket by a more radical Republican. When Andrew Johnson later became the President, Wilson was disappointed by his leniency to the rebel States, and joined those demanding impeachment. 

In 1868 he toured the South campaigning for Grant, calling him “The Hero of Appomattox. He had hoped to get the Vice Presidential nomination, but instead it went to House Speaker Shuyler Colfax. 

In 1872 The New York Sun published accusations of bribes and other corruption from the Credit Mobilier scandal. Wilson was one of those named but survived the investigation and was elected Vice President. 

In may of 1873 the Vice President suffered a stroke. His health kept him from his duties as President of the Senate, but Wilson still wanted to have an active roll in politics. While bedridden he wrote History of the rise and fall of the Slave Power in America. 

By 1875 Wilson’s health had improved and he took a six week tour of the South. Some speculated that he was running for President. He had hoped to return to a normal life, but then the conditions of the stroke started to reappear. He died in his Senate office in 1875.