As we continue our journey through The Forgotten Seconds, we pause to examine the life of Schuyler Colfax—a name once associated with optimism, eloquence, and the future of the Republican Party. He was Vice President under Ulysses S. Grant, a former Speaker of the House, and one of the most prominent political figures of his time. But Colfax’s career was later marred by scandal, and his name, once linked to presidential potential, was swept away in the tide of changing political winds.
Let’s step back into his world and uncover the story of the man who stood beside a general turned president and nearly charted a course for the White House himself.
A Family Rooted in Early America
Schuyler Colfax was born on March 23, 1823, in New York City, into a family with deep roots in early American history. His paternal line traces back to William Colfax, a captain in George Washington’s Life Guard during the Revolutionary War. The Colfaxes descended from early Dutch settlers of the New Netherland colony, giving Schuyler a strong connection to colonial and patriotic tradition.
His maternal line was equally notable. His mother, Hannah Stryker Colfax, was from the Stryker family, another well-established Dutch-American family with a long presence in New York and New Jersey. When Schuyler’s father, also named Schuyler Colfax, died shortly before his son’s birth, the young Schuyler was raised primarily by his mother and grandfather.
His grandfather, William Stryker, operated a general store and was a man of wide reading. Young Schuyler learned from him, developing a love of literature, politics, and newspapers at an early age. When the family moved west to Indiana in 1836, it marked the beginning of a new chapter—and a new frontier—for Schuyler’s ambitions.
From Small-Town Printer to Political Voice
In South Bend, Indiana, Colfax began working as a store clerk before becoming a printer’s apprentice. By 1845, at just 22 years old, he took over the South Bend Free Press, soon renaming it the St. Joseph Valley Register. This newspaper would become his platform, both literally and politically.
Through editorials, Colfax promoted Whig and then Republican ideas. He was a strong opponent of slavery and often used his paper to push for compromise and unity while standing firmly against the expansion of slavery into new territories.
As the country lurched toward division in the 1850s, Colfax’s visibility as a journalist and party activist made him a natural choice for higher office.
Congressional Rise and National Prominence
Colfax was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1854, representing Indiana’s 9th District. He served from 1855 to 1869 and became known as a thoughtful, principled politician with a gift for public speaking. He was not a fiery orator, but rather a persuasive and diplomatic one. His reputation earned him widespread respect.
In 1863, during the thick of the Civil War, Colfax was elected Speaker of the House—a powerful and symbolic role. He presided over the House as it passed key wartime legislation and helped shape the policy direction of the Republican Party during a period of intense national crisis.
As Speaker, he worked closely with President Abraham Lincoln’s administration, helping secure funding for the Union war effort and supporting the passage of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery. He was seen as a moderate Republican, someone who could appeal to a wide range of voters—radicals, moderates, and former Whigs alike.
Colfax’s popularity was so strong that many saw him as a potential presidential candidate in the years following the war.
Vice President Under Ulysses S. Grant
In 1868, Colfax was chosen as the vice-presidential running mate for Ulysses S. Grant, the Union war hero and Republican nominee. Colfax brought legislative experience to the ticket, which complemented Grant’s military background. The pairing also offered geographical balance—Grant from the East, Colfax from the Midwest.
They won the election easily, with Grant becoming president and Colfax sworn in as Vice President on March 4, 1869.
As vice president, Colfax presided over the Senate and supported Grant’s Reconstruction policies, which aimed to secure civil rights for freedmen and reintegrate the Southern states into the Union. While Colfax was largely excluded from Grant’s inner circle—a common experience for vice presidents at the time—he remained a symbol of Republican values and was widely regarded as a future presidential contender.
The Credit Mobilier Scandal
But then, everything changed.
In 1872, near the end of his vice presidency, Colfax’s name became linked to the Credit Mobilier scandal. This was a major corruption case involving the Union Pacific Railroad and the fraudulent construction company, Credit Mobilier of America. Several congressmen and officials were accused of accepting shares in the company in exchange for favorable legislation and turning a blind eye to overcharges on federal railroad contracts.
A newspaper report published during the 1872 presidential campaign accused Colfax—along with others, including Vice President-elect Henry Wilson—of accepting bribes years earlier while still in Congress.
Colfax denied the charges and was never formally prosecuted, but the damage to his reputation was done. The investigation, while inconclusive, cast a shadow over his once-spotless image. He had already announced that he would not seek re-election with Grant in 1872, but the scandal effectively ended any dreams of a future presidency.
Life After Politics
After leaving office in 1873, Colfax returned to private life. He gave up political ambitions and turned to the lecture circuit, where he traveled across the country giving speeches on patriotism, Lincoln, and the history of the Civil War.
Despite his fall from political favor, Colfax remained a beloved figure in many parts of the country, especially in Indiana. He continued to speak out against slavery and injustice and often gave lectures promoting national unity and moral reform.
Though he never returned to political office, he lived with dignity and purpose, continuing to educate the public and inspire younger generations.
Death on the Road
On January 13, 1885, while on a lecture tour, Schuyler Colfax collapsed and died of a heart attack while waiting for a train in Mankato, Minnesota. He had just walked three-quarters of a mile in below-zero temperatures to catch his next connection. He was 61 years old.
His body was returned to South Bend, Indiana, where he was buried. His funeral was well attended, and local newspapers remembered him as a man of honor who had done much for his country—even if his career had ended under a cloud.
Family and Personal Life
Colfax married Evelyn Clark in 1844. She died in 1863, and two years later, he married Ellen Wade, the niece of Senator Benjamin Wade of Ohio, a leading Radical Republican. Schuyler and Ellen had one son, Schuyler Colfax Jr., who went on to a prominent career in business.
Despite his busy political life, Colfax was known as a warm and attentive family man. He did not drink or smoke, rarely raised his voice, and was respected even by political opponents for his calm temperament and moral tone.
Pros and Cons of His Vice Presidency
On the positive side, Colfax brought a strong legislative background to the role. He supported Reconstruction, civil rights, and voting protections for freed slaves. He was also one of the most popular vice presidents of his day, widely respected for his years of public service.
On the downside, his vice presidency was largely ceremonial. Like many before and after him, he had little influence over executive policy. His greatest flaw, though, was allowing himself to be tied—rightly or wrongly—to the Credit Mobilier scandal. Whether through poor judgment, bad timing, or misplaced trust, the stain of corruption followed him for the rest of his life.
Conclusion
Schuyler Colfax was a man of promise. A newspaper editor turned congressman, Speaker of the House, and vice president, he embodied the American ideal of rising from humble beginnings to national prominence. He was once seen as a future president. But political scandals can be unforgiving, and one misstep—deserved or not—changed everything.
Today, his name is largely forgotten, except on maps and in schools that bear his name in the Midwest and West. However, in his time, Colfax was a voice of moderation, a steady hand during crises, and a man who sought to walk the path of public virtue in a time of rapid change and rising cynicism.
In this chapter of The Forgotten Seconds, we remember Schuyler Colfax not only for how he stumbled, but for how high he had once climbed—and how close he came to reaching even greater heights.
