Hamilton Fish

Hamilton Fish (1808-93), American lawyer and statesman, son of Nicholas Fish, a New York City alderman, born in New York, and educated at Columbia College (now Columbia University). He was admitted to the bar in 1830. Fish served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1843-45), as the governor of New York State (1849-51), and as a U.S. senator (1851-57). He is most noted for his service as secretary of state (1869-77) under President Ulysses S. Grant, especially for his handling of disputes with Britain and Spain. When the Treaty of Washington was drawn up in 1871 to settle the disputes that arose between the United States and Britain during the American Civil War, Fish took an active part in arranging for the arbitration of the Alabama claims. Later he was instrumental in finding a solution to the San Juan boundary dispute with England, which was settled in 1872. During the Cuban insurrection against Spain, which dominated Cuban political life in the late 19th century, Fish was largely responsible for the recognition by the U.S. of the insurrectionists.