Giddings, JOSHUA REED

Giddings, JOSHUA REED, an American statesman, was born in Athens, Pennsylvania, 6th October 1795, removed with his parents to Ohio in 1806, was called to the bar in 1820, and elected to the Ohio legislature in 1826. He sat in congress from 1838 to 1859, and was one of the most distinguished, outspoken, and aggressive leaders of the anti-slavery movement. In 1842 he was censured by a congressional vote (125 to 69) for his agitation, but at once resigned and appealed to his constituents, and was re-elected by a large majority. In 1861 he was appointed consul-general in Canada, and died at Montreal, 27th May 1864. He published a volume of speeches (1853), The Exiles of Florida (1858), and The Rebellion: Its Authors and Causes (posthum, 1864).