Hamilton, Andrew Jackson, 1815-1875

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Andrew Jackson Hamilton (1815-1875), governor of Texas, was born in Huntsville, Alabama, on January 28, 1815. He moved to Texas in 1846 and practiced law in La Grange before moving to and settling in Austin. He married Mary Bowen, also of Alabama. Governor Peter H. Bell of Texas appointed Hamilton acting attorney general in 1849. From 1851 to 1853, Hamilton represented Travis County in the state House of Representatives. In 1859, Hamilton was voted into the United States House of Representatives. After returning to Texas in 1861, he won a special election to the state Senate.

Hamilton was appointed military governor of Texas by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862 and provisional governor by Andrew Johnson in 1865, a position he held for one year. He was a proponent of black suffrage and assisted in the organization of the Southern Loyalists' Convention in Philadelphia in 1866. For a short while, Hamilton moved to New Orleans and worked as a bankruptcy judge, but in 1867 he returned to Texas as an associate justice on the state Supreme Court. After proving to be a prominent figure in the Texas Constitutional Convention of 1868–1869, as well as serving on the Republican National Executive Committee, Hamilton changed his views and began to oppose the plan to turn West Texas into a separate, Unionist state and withdrew his support for black suffrage. Because of this viewpoint change, Hamilton became one of the state's leading moderate Republicans and ran (though unsuccessfully) against radical Edmund J. Davis in the 1869 governor's race. Hamilton never sought public office again after losing this election. He died of tuberculosis on April 11, 1875, and was buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Austin.

Source: Hamilton, Andrew Jackson. Handbook of Texas Online . Accessed May 19, 2010. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/HH/fha33.html.

From the guide to the Hamilton (Andrew Jackson) Papers 1952; 72-137; 79-39; 82-351., 1847-1913, (Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin)

Andrew Jackson Hamilton (1815-1875), governor of Texas, was born in Huntsville, Alabama, on January 28, 1815.

He moved to Texas in 1846 and practiced law in La Grange before moving to and settling in Austin. He married Mary Bowen, also of Alabama. Governor Peter H. Bell of Texas appointed Hamilton acting attorney general in 1849. From 1851 to 1853 Hamilton represented Travis County in the state House of Representatives. In 1859 Hamilton was voted into the United States Congress. After returning to Texas in 1861 he won a special election to the state Senate.

Hamilton was appointed military governor of Texas by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862 and provisional governor by Andrew Johnson in 1865, a position he held for one year.

He was a proponent of black suffrage and assisted in the organization of the Southern Loyalists' Convention in Philadelphia in 1866. For a short while, Hamilton moved to New Orleans and worked as a bankruptcy judge, but in 1867 he returned to Texas as an associate justice on the state Supreme Court.

After proving to be a prominent figure in the Texas Constitutional Convention of 1868-1869, as well as serving on the Republican National Executive Committee, Hamilton changed his views and began to oppose the plan to turn West Texas into a separate, Unionist state and withdrew his support for black suffrage.

Because of this viewpoint change, Hamilton became one of the state's leading moderate Republicans and ran (though unsuccessfully) against radical Edmund J. Davis in the 1869 governor's race. Hamilton never sought public office again after losing this election. He died of tuberculosis on April 11, 1875, and was buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Austin.

From the description of Hamilton, Andrew Jackson Papers, 1847-1913 (University of Texas Libraries). WorldCat record id: 659567342

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Earle, Pliny, 1809-1892. Papers, 1806-1897. Duke University, Medical Center Library & Archives
referencedIn Philip Case Lockwood memorial collection of Civil War portraits and autographs, 1862-ca. 1886. Houghton Library
referencedIn Petty, Annie E. Annie E. Petty papers, 1847-1911. Duke University Libraries, Duke University Library; Perkins Library
referencedIn Records, 1865-1866 Texas State Archives
referencedIn Eberstadt, Edward, 1883-1958. Eberstadt collection, 1699-1959. University of Texas Libraries
referencedIn Frederick M. Dearborn collection of military and political Americana, Part II: The Civil War and the Confederacy, 1832-1915. Houghton Library
referencedIn Huling, Thomas Byers, Papers, 1826, 1831-1881, 1901 Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
referencedIn Mills, William Wallace Papers, 1856-1922 Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
referencedIn Huling, Thomas Byers. Huling, Thomas Byers, Papers, 1826, 1831-1881, 1901 University of Texas Libraries
creatorOf Greeley, Horace, 1811-1872. Letter, 1872 May 7, New York (N.Y.), to A.J. Hamilton. Dartmouth College Library
referencedIn Frederick M. Dearborn collection of military and political Americana, Part III: The Civil War: The Union, 1804-1915. Houghton Library
referencedIn Mills, W. W. (William Wallace), 1836-1913. Mills, William Wallace Papers, 1856-1922 University of Texas Libraries
creatorOf Stevens, John Austin, 1795-1874. Papers, 1811-1885. Churchill County Museum
creatorOf Hamilton, Andrew Jackson, 1815-1875. Hamilton, Andrew Jackson Papers, 1847-1913 University of Texas Libraries
referencedIn Eberstadt Collection AR 76-62., 1699-1959 Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
creatorOf Hamilton (Andrew Jackson) Papers 1952; 72-137; 79-39; 82-351., 1847-1913 Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
referencedIn Texas applications for special pardons, 1865-1867 Texas State Archives
creatorOf Earle, Pliny, 1809-1892. Papers, 1806-1897. Duke University, Medical Center Library & Archives
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Davis, E. J. (Edmund Jackson), 1827-1883 person
associatedWith Dearborn, Frederick M. (Frederick Myers), b. 1876 person
associatedWith Earle, Pliny, 1809-1892. person
associatedWith Eberstadt, Edward, 1883-1958 person
associatedWith Greeley, Horace, 1811-1872. person
associatedWith Huling, Thomas Byers person
associatedWith Huling, Thomas Byers person
correspondedWith Lockwood, Philip Case, 1844-1897 person
associatedWith Mills, William Wallace person
associatedWith Mills, W. W. (William Wallace), 1836-1913. person
associatedWith Petty, Annie E. person
associatedWith Republican Party (Tex.) corporateBody
associatedWith Stevens, John Austin, 1795-1874. person
associatedWith Texas. Governor (1865-1866 : Hamilton) corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Congress. House corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
Texas
United States
United States
Texas
Austin (Tex.)
Austin (Tex.)
Subject
Suffrage
Suffrage
Governor
Governors
Politicians
Reconstruction (U.S. history, 1865-1877)
Secession
Secession
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1815-01-28

Death 1875-04-11

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