Editing James G. Blaine (section)

== Early life ==

=== Family and childhood ===
James Gillespie Blaine was born January 31, 1830, in [[West Brownsville, Pennsylvania]], the third child of Ephraim Lyon Blaine and his wife Maria (Gillespie) Blaine. He had two older sisters, Harriet and Margaret.{{sfnm|Muzzey||1p=6|Russell||2p=5}} Blaine's father was a western Pennsylvania businessman and landowner, and the family lived in relative comfort.{{sfn|Crapol|p=1}} On his father's side, Blaine was descended from [[Scotch-Irish American|Scotch-Irish]] settlers who first emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1745.{{sfn|Muzzey|p=1}} His great-grandfather [[Ephraim Blaine]] served as a Commissary-General under [[George Washington]] in the [[American Revolutionary War]].{{sfn|Muzzey|pp=2–3}} Blaine's mother and her forebears were [[Irish Catholic]]s who immigrated to Pennsylvania in the 1780s.{{sfnm|Muzzey||1p=5|Russell||2p=5}} Blaine's parents were married in 1820 in a [[Catholic]] ceremony, although Blaine's father remained a [[Presbyterian]].{{sfnm|Muzzey||1p=5|Russell||2p=5}} Following a common compromise of the era, the Blaines agreed that their daughters would be raised in their mother's Catholic faith while their sons would be brought up in their father's religion.{{sfnm|Rose||1pp=30–31|Muzzey||2p=5}} James Blaine's cousin, [[Angela Gillespie]], was a nun and founded the American branch of the Sisters of the Holy Cross.<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rVLOhGt1BX0C&q=james+blaine+sister+nun&pg=RA1-PA34 |title = Notable American Women, 1607–1950: A Biographical Dictionary|isbn = 9780674627345|last1 = James|first1 = Edward T.|last2 = James|first2 = Janet Wilson|last3 = Boyer|first3 = Paul S.|year = 1971| publisher=Harvard University Press}}</ref> In politics, Blaine's father supported the [[Whig Party (United States)|Whig Party]].{{sfn|Rolde|p=28}}

Blaine's biographers describe his childhood as "harmonious," and note that the boy took an early interest in history and literature.{{sfnm|Muzzey||1pp=12–14|Russell||2p=8|Crapol||3p=2}} At the age of thirteen, Blaine enrolled in his father's alma mater, Washington College (now [[Washington & Jefferson College]]), in nearby [[Washington, Pennsylvania]].{{sfnm|Muzzey||1pp=4, 14|Russell||2p=8}} There, he was a member of the [[Literary societies at Washington & Jefferson College#Washington Literary Society|Washington Literary Society]], one of the college's debating societies.{{sfn|McClelland|p=127}} Blaine succeeded academically, graduating near the top of his class and delivering the salutatory address in June 1847.{{sfnm|Muzzey||1p=15|Russell||2pp=9–10}} After graduation, Blaine considered attending [[Yale Law School]], but ultimately decided against it, instead moving west to find a job.{{sfnm|Muzzey||1pp=16–17|Russell||2p=12}}

=== Teacher and publisher ===
In 1848, Blaine was hired as a professor of mathematics and ancient languages at the [[Western Military Institute]] in [[Georgetown, Kentucky]].{{sfnm|Muzzey||1pp=16–17|Russell||2p=12}} Although he was only 18 years old and younger than many of his students, Blaine adapted well to his new profession.{{sfnm|Muzzey||1pp=17–19|Rolde||2pp=38–39}} Blaine grew to enjoy life in his adopted state and became an admirer of Kentucky Senator [[Henry Clay]].{{sfnm|Muzzey||1pp=17–19|Rolde||2pp=38–39}} He also made the acquaintance of Harriet Stanwood, a teacher at the nearby [[Millersburg, Kentucky|Millersburg]] Female College and native of Maine.{{sfnm|Muzzey||1p=20|Russell||2p=28}} On June 30, 1850, the two wed.{{sfnm|Muzzey||1p=20|Russell||2p=28}} Blaine once again considered taking up the study of law, but instead took his new bride to visit his family in Pennsylvania.{{sfnm|Muzzey||1pp=21–22|Russell||2pp=28–29}} They next lived with Harriet Blaine's family in [[Augusta, Maine]], for several months, where their first child, Stanwood Blaine, was born in 1851.{{sfnm|Muzzey||1pp=21–22|Russell||2pp=28–29}} The young family soon moved again, this time to Philadelphia where Blaine took a job at the Pennsylvania Institution for the Instruction of the Blind (now [[Overbrook School for the Blind]]) in 1852, teaching science and literature.{{sfn|Rolde|p=47}}

[[File:KennebecJournalOffice.jpg|thumb|upright|The offices of the ''Kennebec Journal'', where Blaine got his start in politics as editor.]]

Philadelphia's law libraries gave Blaine the chance to, at last, begin to study the law, but in 1853 he received a more tempting offer: to become editor and co-owner of the ''[[Kennebec Journal]]''.{{sfnm|Muzzey||1pp=21–22|Russell||2pp=28–29}} Blaine had spent several vacations in his wife's native state of Maine and had become friendly with the ''Journal''{{'}}s editors. When the newspaper's founder, [[Luther Severance]], retired, Blaine was invited to purchase the publication along with co-editor Joseph Baker.{{sfnm|Muzzey||1pp=21–22|Russell||2pp=28–29}} He quickly accepted, borrowing the purchase price from his wife's brothers.{{sfn|Rolde|p=49}} In 1854, Baker sold his share to [[John L. Stevens]], a local minister.{{sfnm|Muzzey||1pp=22–23, 27|Russell||2pp=30–31}} The ''Journal'' had been a staunchly Whig newspaper, which coincided with Blaine's and Stevens' political opinions.{{sfnm|Muzzey||1pp=22–23, 27|Russell||2pp=30–31}} The decision to become a newspaperman, unexpected as it was, started Blaine on the road to a lifelong career in politics.{{sfnm|Muzzey||1p=24|Crapol||2pp=3–4}} Blaine's purchase of the ''Journal'' coincided with the demise of the Whig party and the birth of the Republican party, and Blaine and Stevens actively promoted the new party in their newspaper.{{sfnm|Muzzey||1p=27|Crapol||2p=4}} The newspaper was financially successful, and Blaine was soon able to invest his profits in coal mines in Pennsylvania and Virginia, forming the basis of his future wealth.{{sfnm|Muzzey||1p=28|Crapol||2p=18}}

=== Maine politics ===
Blaine's career as a Republican newspaperman led naturally to involvement in party politics. In 1856, he was selected as a delegate to [[1856 Republican National Convention|the first Republican National Convention]].{{sfnm|Muzzey||1p=29|Crapol||2p=9}} From the party's early days, Blaine identified with the conservative wing, supporting Supreme Court Justice [[John McLean]] for the presidential nomination over the more radical [[John C. Frémont]], the eventual nominee.{{sfnm|Muzzey||1p=29|Crapol||2p=9}} The following year, Blaine was offered the editorship of the ''[[Portland Daily Advertiser]]'', which he accepted, selling his interest in the ''Journal'' soon thereafter.{{sfnm|Muzzey||1p=30|Russell||2pp=50–51}} He still maintained his home in Augusta, however, with his growing family. Although Blaine's first son, Stanwood, died in infancy, he and Harriet had two more sons soon afterward: [[Walker Blaine|Walker]], in 1855, and Emmons, in 1857.{{sfnm|Muzzey||1p=30|Russell||2pp=50–51}} They would have four more children in years to come: Alice, James, Margaret, and Harriet.{{sfn|Muzzey|pp=228–232}} It was around this time that Blaine left the Presbyterian church of his childhood and joined his wife's new denomination, becoming a member of the [[South Parish Congregational Church and Parish House|South Parish Congregational Church]] in Augusta.{{sfn|Rolde|p=56}}

In 1858, Blaine ran for a seat in the [[Maine House of Representatives]], and was elected.{{sfnm|Muzzey||1p=30|Russell||2pp=50–51}} He ran for reelection in 1859, 1860, and 1861, and was successful each time by large majorities. The added responsibilities led Blaine to reduce his duties with the ''Advertiser'' in 1860, and he soon ceased editorial work altogether.{{sfnm|Muzzey||1pp=31–32|Rolde||2pp=63–69}} Meanwhile, his political power was growing as he became chairman of the [[Maine Republican Party|Republican state committee]] in 1859, replacing Stevens.{{sfnm|Muzzey||1pp=31–32|Rolde||2pp=63–69}} Blaine was not a delegate to the [[1860 Republican National Convention|Republican convention in 1860]], but attended anyway as an enthusiastic supporter of [[Abraham Lincoln]].{{sfnm|Muzzey||1pp=31–32|Rolde||2pp=63–69}} Returning to Maine, he was elected Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives in 1861 and reelected in 1862.{{sfnm|Muzzey||1p=30|Russell||2pp=50–51}} With the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, he supported Lincoln's war effort and saw that the Maine Legislature voted to organize and equip [[List of Maine Civil War units|units]] to join the [[Union Army]].{{sfnm|Muzzey||1pp=32–35|Crapol||2p=19}}