Alexander Cameron Hunt

Alexander Cameron Hunt

Alexander Cameron Hunt (born January 12, 1825 in New York City , † May 14, 1894 in Washington, DC ) was an American politician ( Republican Party ) and from 1867 to 1869 governor of the Colorado Territory .

Early years

Shortly after he was born, his parents moved from New York to Freeport , Illinois . There the young Alexander Hunt attended the local schools. Later he was mayor of that place. In 1850 he followed the California gold rush and came to a certain degree of wealth there, which he lost again due to the economic crisis of 1857.

Rise in Colorado

He then went to Colorado , where gold had also been discovered in the Cherry Creek area. During this time the area was tyrannized by desperados, bandits and other gangsters. Hunt found this situation unbearable. He was elected judge by a citizens' meeting. The committee and Judge Hunt cracked down on them. After a few executions, the situation in the area calmed down. After the area was officially designated a US territory in 1861 , Hunt was named a US Marshal as a reward for his services in establishing order . He held this office for five years. He was also the federal government's Indian commissioner; he also exercised this activity during his time as territorial governor.

Territorial Governor of Colorado

In 1866 the political situation in Colorado was tense. There were two factions that fought bitterly. The main point of contention was the area's accession as a state to the United States. Acting Territory Governor Alexander Cummings was strongly against it, while another group was in favor of joining. President Andrew Johnson had constitutionally denied membership, but the dispute in Colorado continued and broke out again over the 1866 congressional election. George M. Chilcott and Alexander Hunt faced each other as candidates . Hunt represented the governor's anti-accession course. The election result in Colorado was tight and controversial. They accused each other of electoral fraud. Since there was no agreement, a compromise was reached in Washington. Chilcot would get the seat in Congress , while Hunt would become the new territorial governor. On April 24, 1867 he received his official appointment for this office.

In addition to the political tensions mentioned, Governor Hunt had to deal with conflicts between the Indians and the white settlers. At times the situation seemed to get out of hand and an Indian revolt became more and more likely. Due to his experience as an Indian agent, Hunt succeeded in calming the Indians and avoiding the very big conflict. In February 1868, a peace treaty was signed between the Indians and President Johnson, in which Hunt had participated. The treaty stipulated that the Indians give up the land east of the 107th longitude, in return the Indians in the west should be provided with food. Since this part of the agreement was not kept by the government, there was continued resentment among the Indians. As a result, the government increased the military presence in the area. Also, during Hunt's tenure, the Territory's capital moved from Golden City to Denver, and Canon City became a penal institution.

Another résumé

Despite his commitment to his territory, Hunt was recalled by President Ulysses S. Grant, who had been in office since March 4, 1869, on June 14, 1869 and replaced by Grant's friend Edward Moody McCook . Even after his governorship, Hunt stood up for the interests of Colorado. He was involved in building two railway companies that should open up the country. Alexander Hunt died in May 1894 and was buried in Washington.

Web links

• The governors of Colorado (English)
• Alexander Cameron Hunt in the database of Find a Grave (English)