Early Life and Career
Wood was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His Spanish-sounding forename was chosen by his mother, who found it in an English gothic novel written by George Walker, The Three Spaniards (London, 1800). He moved to New York, where he became a successful shipping merchant. He was chairman of the chief young men's political organization in 1839 and was a member of the Tammany Society, which he used as a vehicle for his political rise. As a member of the Democratic party, he was elected to Congress in 1841 and served until 1843.
Read more about this topic: Fernando Wood
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