Born: 3-Aug-1808
Birthplace: New York City
Died: 7-Sep-1893
Location of death: Garrison, NY
Cause of death: unspecified

Gender: Male
Religion: Anglican/Episcopalian
Race or Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Politician
Party Affiliation: Republican [1]

Nationality: United States
Executive summary: US Secretary of State, 1869-77

The American statesman Hamilton Fish was born in New York City on the 3rd of August 1808. His father, Nicholas Fish (1758-1833), served in the American army during the War of American Independence, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel. The son graduated at Columbia College in 1827, and in 1830 was admitted to the bar, but practiced only a short time. In 1843-5 he was a Whig representative in Congress. He was the Whig candidate for lieutenant-governor of New York in 1846, and was defeated by Addison Gardner (Democrat); but when in 1847 Gardner was appointed a judge of the state court of appeals, Fish was elected (November 1847) to complete the term (to January 1849.) He was Governor of New York from 1849 to 1851, and was United States Senator in 1851-7, acting with the Republicans during the last part of his term. In 1861-2 he was associated with John A. Dix, William M. Evarts, William E. Dodge, A. T. Stewart, John Jacob Astor, and other New York men, on the Union Defense Committee, which (from April 22 1861, to April 30 1862) cooperated with the municipal government in the raising and equipping of troops, and disbursed more than a million dollars for the relief of New York volunteers and their families. Fish was Secretary of State during President Ulysses S. Grant's two administrations (1869-77.) He conducted the negotiations with Great Britain which resulted in the treaty of the 8th of May 1871, under which (Article 1) the Alabama claims were referred to arbitration, and the same disposition (Article 34) was made of the San Juan Boundary Dispute, concerning the Oregon boundary line. In 1871 Fish presided at the Peace Conference at Washington between Spain and the allied republics of Peru, Chile, Ecuador and Bolivia, which resulted in the formulation (April 12) of a general truce between those countries, to last indefinitely and not to be broken by any one of them without three years notice given through the United States; and it was chiefly due to his restraint and moderation that a satisfactory settlement of the Virginius Affair was reached by the United States and Spain (1873.) Fish was Vice-President General of the Society of the Cincinnati from 1848 to 1854, and President-General from 1854 until his death. He died in Garrison, New York, on the 7th of September 1893.

    University: Columbia University (1827)

    US Secretary of State (1869-77)
    US Senator, New York (1851-57)
    Governor of New York (1849-51)
    Lieutenant Governor of New York (1848)
    US Congressman, New York 6th (1843-45)
    New York State Official Commissioner of Deeds, City and County of New York (1832-33)
    Society of the Cincinnati President-General (1854-93)

New! NNDB MAPPER

Create a map starting with

Hamilton Fish

Requires Flash 7+ and Javascript.

Do you know something we don't?
Submit a correction or make a comment about this profile

Copyright ©2009 Soylent Communications