He married the eldest daughter of William Cullen Bryant,[2] and moved to New York City in 1837.

[3] He became interested in journalism and by the 1830s was writing for the Evening Post and The United States Magazine and Democratic Review under John L.

[2][4] He was deputy collector in the New York Custom House under President James K. Polk, an early member of the Republican Party, and a consistent advocate of free trade.

...The real American gives his mind and heart to the grand constituent ideas of the republic... no matter whether his corporeal chemistry was first ignited in Kamschatka [sic] or the moon".

[11] Godwin was against slavery, but ridiculed the New England reform movements for not attempting to impact the rest of the country.

[14] In 1857, he and fellow editor Curtis supported Frederick Law Olmsted as designer of Central Park.