Edward Salomon (politician)

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Edward Salomon

Edward Salomon (born August 11, 1828 in Ströbeck , Prussia , † April 20, 1909 in Frankfurt am Main ) was an American politician of German origin and the eighth governor of the state of Wisconsin from 1862 to 1864 .

Early years

The dates of birth of Edward Salomon are given differently in the sources. Most likely August 11, 1828. One thing is certain: he was born in what was then the Kingdom of Prussia and attended the University of Berlin , where he studied natural history and philosophy. As a supporter of the revolution of 1848/49 he fled to America with his brother after it was suppressed. There he settled in Manitowoc (Wisconsin). He earned his living as a teacher and surveyor and was also assistant clerk at a district court. After completing a law degree, he began to work as a lawyer himself.

Promotion to governor

In 1857, Salomon was appointed to the University of Wisconsin's Board of Directors by Governor Coles Bashford . Originally Salomon was a Democrat , but as a follower of Abraham Lincoln to the Republican Party transgressed. In 1861 he was elected as their candidate for the new Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin. After Governor Louis P. Harvey drowned on a mission to care for wounded soldiers in the Tennessee River in April 1862 , Salomon had to take over his office as deputy and end the term of office that had started, which ran until January 4, 1864. He was the first Wisconsin governor not to be born in the United States.

As governor, his main task during the civil war was to deal with problems related to that war. This included a new controversial Federal Defense Register Act that put the poor and immigrants at a disadvantage compared to the rich. There was also a risk that agents of the southern states could incite the Indians of the area to revolt against the population. Governor Solomon made sure that drafted soldiers from Wisconsin could exercise their right to vote. After he had an uprising against the Defense Act suppressed with troops, he lost popularity and was not nominated by his party for the gubernatorial elections of 1863. Therefore, he resigned from office in January 1864.

Another résumé

After retiring from governor's office, he worked as a lawyer in Milwaukee . He ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the US Senate. Then he moved to New York City , where he also worked as a lawyer. He was also an advisor to the German consulate there and, as a lawyer, represented the interests of German companies and other German affairs in the USA. In 1894 he returned to his homeland at the request of his wife. He died there in 1909. Edward Salomon was married to Elisa Nebel. His cousin Edward S. Salomon was governor of the Washington Territory from 1870 to 1872 .

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