Alexander Ramsey (September 8, 1815 April 22, 1903) was an American politician. He served as a
Whig and
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
over a variety of offices between the 1840s and the 1880s. He was the first
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
Territorial Governor.
Early years and family
Born in
Hummelstown, Pennsylvania
Hummelstown is a borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,535 as of the 2020 census. It is part of the Harrisburg– Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Originally named Fredrickstown, the town was establ ...
, on September 8, 1815,
Alexander was the eldest of five children born to Thomas Ramsey and Elizabeth Kelker (also Kölliker or Köllker).
His father was a
blacksmith
A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such as gates, gr ...
who committed suicide at age 42 when he went bankrupt in 1826,
after signing for a note of a friend.
Alexander lived with his uncle in
Harrisburg
Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in Pe ...
, after his family split up to live with relatives.
His brother was
Justus Cornelius Ramsey
Justus Cornelius Ramsey (June 13, 1821 – January 24, 1881) was an American businessman and politician.
Born in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania, Ramsey moved to Saint Paul, Minnesota Territory in 1849. He was in the real estate and grocery busines ...
, who served in the Minnesota Territorial Legislature.
Ramsey first studied carpentry at
Lafayette College
Lafayette College is a private liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens in Easton, the college first held classes in 1832. The founders voted to name the college after General Laf ...
but left during his third year. He read law with Hamilton Alricks, and attended Judge John Reed's law school in
Carlisle (now
Penn State-Dickinson Law) in 1839. He was admitted to the Pennsylvania bar in 1839.
In 1844 Ramsey married Anna Earl Jenks, daughter of
Michael Hutchinson Jenks
Michael Hutchinson Jenks (May 21, 1795 – October 16, 1867) was a Whig member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.
Biography
Michael H. Jenks was born at Bridgetown Mills, Pennsylvania, near Middletown, Pennsylvania. He s ...
, and they had three children. Only one daughter, Marion, survived past childhood.
Biography
Alexander Ramsey was elected from
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
as a
Whig to the
U.S. House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
and served in the
28th
28 (twenty-eight) is the natural number following 27 and preceding 29.
In mathematics
It is a composite number, its proper divisors being 1, 2, 4, 7, and 14.
Twenty-eight is the second perfect number - it is the sum of its proper diviso ...
and
29th congresses from March 4, 1843, to March 3, 1847. He served as the first Territorial
Governor of Minnesota
The governor of Minnesota is the head of government of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty people have been governor of Minnesota, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory. ...
from June 1, 1849, to May 15, 1853, as a member of the
Whig Party.
Ramsey was of Scottish and German ancestry. In 1855, he became the mayor of
St. Paul, Minnesota. Ramsey was elected the second Governor of Minnesota after statehood and served from January 2, 1860, to July 10, 1863. Ramsey is credited with being the first Union governor to commit troops during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
. He happened to be in Washington, D.C., when fighting broke out. When he heard about the firing on
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter is a sea fort built on an artificial island protecting Charleston, South Carolina from naval invasion. Its origin dates to the War of 1812 when the British invaded Washington by sea. It was still incomplete in 1861 when the Battle ...
he went straight to the White House and offered Minnesota's services to Abraham Lincoln.
He resigned the governorship to become a
U.S. Senator
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and powe ...
, having been elected to that post in 1863 as a
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
. He was re-elected in 1869 and held the office until March 3, 1875, serving in the
38th,
39th,
40th,
41st,
42nd
4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures.
In mathematics
Four is the smallest c ...
, and
43rd congresses. He supported the
Radical Republicans
The Radical Republicans (later also known as "Stalwarts") were a faction within the Republican Party, originating from the party's founding in 1854, some 6 years before the Civil War, until the Compromise of 1877, which effectively ended Recons ...
,
who called for vigorous prosecution of the Civil War, and a military reconstruction of the South.
He voted for the
Impeachment of Andrew Johnson
The impeachment of Andrew Johnson was initiated on February 24, 1868, when the United States House of Representatives passed a resolution to impeach Andrew Johnson, the 17th president of the United States, for "high crimes and misdemeanors". T ...
.
Ramsey called for the killing or removal of the
Mdewakanton
The Mdewakanton or Mdewakantonwan (also spelled ''Mdewákhaŋthuŋwaŋ'' and currently pronounced ''Bdewákhaŋthuŋwaŋ'') are one of the sub-tribes of the Isanti (Santee) Dakota ( Sioux). Their historic home is Mille Lacs Lake (Dakota: ''Mde Wà ...
and
Wahpekute
The Dakota (pronounced , Dakota language: ''Dakȟóta/Dakhóta'') are a Native American tribe and First Nations band government in North America. They compose two of the three main subcultures of the Sioux people, and are typically divided into ...
Dakota
Dakota may refer to:
* Dakota people, a sub-tribe of the Sioux
** Dakota language, their language
Dakota may also refer to:
Places United States
* Dakota, Georgia, an unincorporated community
* Dakota, Illinois, a town
* Dakota, Minnesota, ...
from the state of Minnesota during the
Dakota War of 1862
The Dakota War of 1862, also known as the Sioux Uprising, the Dakota Uprising, the Sioux Outbreak of 1862, the Dakota Conflict, the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862, or Little Crow's War, was an armed conflict between the United States and several ban ...
. After pressing the Dakota to sell their land, he and other officials diverted the Dakota's money to themselves, leaving the Dakota without their land or the treaty money. In response, some of the Dakota attacked American settlements, resulting in the death of at least 800 civilian men, women and children, and the displacement of thousands more. In a message to the state legislature on September 9, 1862, Ramsey said: "The Sioux Indians of Minnesota must be exterminated or driven forever beyond the borders of the State," which he justified by accusing the Indians of various outrages against the white settlers and violations of their treaties. In 1863, in response to continued raids on civilian settlers, he authorized bounty payments on Dakota scalps.
Ramsey served as
Secretary of War
The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...
from 1879 to 1881, under
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
Rutherford B. Hayes
Rutherford Birchard Hayes (; October 4, 1822 – January 17, 1893) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 19th president of the United States from 1877 to 1881, after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and as governo ...
.
He was one of the commissioners to govern
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
from 1882 to 1886 under the
Edmunds Act
The Edmunds Act, also known as the Edmunds Anti-Polygamy Act of 1882,U.S.History.com is a United States federal statute, signed into law on March 23, 1882 by President Chester A. Arthur, declaring polygamy a felony in federal territories. The act ...
.
The act made it illegal for polygamists to vote or hold office. Ramsey and four others were defendants in the Supreme Court case Murphy v. Ramsey, 114 U.S. 15 (1885). The Supreme Court upheld the federal law that denied polygamists the right to vote.
Legacy
* The
Minnesota Historical Society preserves his home, the
Alexander Ramsey House as a museum. It was added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
in 1969.
A number of counties, towns, parks, and schools are named after Ramsey, including:
*
Ramsey County, Minnesota,
*
Ramsey County, North Dakota
Ramsey County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 11,605. Its county seat is Devils Lake.
History
The Dakota Territory legislature created the county on January 4, 1873, with a ...
* The city of
Ramsey, Minnesota
Ramsey is a suburb 22 miles (35 km) north-northwest of downtown Minneapolis in Anoka County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 23,668 at the 2010 census. It is a northwest suburb of the Twin Cities.
U.S. Highways 10 / 169 ( ...
* The city of
Ramsey, Illinois
Ramsey is a village in Fayette County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,063 in 2018. Between 2017 and 2018 the population of Ramsey, IL declined from 1,225 to 1,063, a -13.2% decrease.
The village was named after Alexander Ramsey (181 ...
,
[Allan H. Keith]
''Historical Stories: About Greenville and Bond County, IL''
Consulted on August 15, 2007.
* Alexander Ramsey Park, located in
Redwood Falls, Minnesota
Redwood Falls is a city in Redwood County, located along the Redwood River near its confluence with the Minnesota River, in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 5,102 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat.
History
As the immig ...
, is the largest municipal park in Minnesota.
* Ramsey Park in
Stillwater, Minnesota
Stillwater is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Washington County. It is in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, on the west bank of the St. Croix River (Wisconsin-Minnesota), St. Croix River, across from H ...
* Hidden River Middle School in
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center ...
was formerly named after him. During the 2021-2022 school year, the school was renamed after approval from the St Paul School Board; staff and students had previously called for a name change in the spring of 2021.
* Alexander Ramsey Elementary School in
Montevideo, Minnesota
Montevideo is a city in Chippewa County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 5,383 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chippewa County. The town's mayor is Erich Winter and the Council President is Nathan Schmidt.
The area ...
.
* Justice Page Middle School in
Minneapolis, Minnesota was formerly named after him when it was first founded in 1932 (Ramsey International Fine Arts Center and formerly Alexander Ramsey Junior High School). In the 2016–17 school year, a student-initiated effort to rename Ramsey Middle School resulted in renaming the school after
Alan Page
Alan Cedric Page (born August 7, 1945) is an American retired judge and former professional football
He gained national recognition as a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) during 15 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings and C ...
, the first African-American Minnesota Supreme Court justice.
He was the namesake of the Liberty Ship
SS ''Alexander Ramsey'' launched in 1942.
References
Retrieved on 2009-03-22
Alexander Ramsey U.S. Army biography
External links
*
gubernatorial records and Ramsey'
personal papersare available for research use at th
Minnesota Historical Society.*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ramsey, Alexander
1815 births
1903 deaths
People from Hummelstown, Pennsylvania
Methodists from Minnesota
Governors of Minnesota
Governors of Minnesota Territory
Mayors of Saint Paul, Minnesota
United States Secretaries of War
Minnesota Republicans
People of Minnesota in the American Civil War
Minnesota Whigs
Republican Party United States senators from Minnesota
Hayes administration cabinet members
Union (American Civil War) state governors
Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
Republican Party governors of Minnesota
19th-century American politicians
Ramsey County, Minnesota