Governor Andrew Jackson Hamilton
Austin, Travis County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(January 28, 1815 - April 11, 1875) The First Republican Governor of Texas Nicknamed "Colossal Jack" because of his imposing stature and his oratorical skill, A.J. Hamilton was born in Alabama. He migrated to Texas about 1846. A lawyer, he served as acting Attorney General of Texas in 1850. His residence once stood one mile east of here while representing Travis County in the 4th Texas Legislature, 1851-1853. He donated land for establishing the State Cemetery. Elected to the U.S. Congress in 1859, Hamilton took a Unionist stand during the secession crisis along with his friend Sam Houston and others. Because of his convictions, he was forced to flee Texas in 1862, during the Civil War (1861-1865). U.S. President Abraham Lincoln commissioned him a brigadier general and Military Governor of Texas on Nov. 14, 1862. He had little power until he returned to Texas in Jan. 1865, when federal troops occupied Brownsville. He served as Provisional Governor, June 17, 1865 - Aug. 9, 1866, during the turmoil of Reconstruction. He was a leader at the Constitutional Convention of 1868-69, and an associate justice of the State Supreme Court, 1868-70. Running as a Conservative Republican, he lost the Governorship in 1869 to E.J. Davis. He married Mary Jane (Bowen) (1826-1915) and had 6 children. (1978)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Andrew Jackson Hamilton, an Alabama-born lawyer nicknamed "Colossal Jack" for his stature and eloquence, settled in Texas around 1846 and rose through its legal and political ranks. A staunch Unionist alongside his friend Sam Houston, he fled Texas in 1862 as the secession crisis deepened, and Abraham Lincoln named him a brigadier general and military governor. He returned to serve as provisional governor during the turbulence of Reconstruction before losing the office in 1869.
Why it matters
Hamilton embodies the wrenching choices Southern Unionists faced during the Civil War and the fierce contest over how a defeated Texas would be rebuilt.
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Related people
- · Andrew Jackson Hamilton
- · Abraham Lincoln
- · Sam Houston
Related events
- · Reconstruction
Themes & tags
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