Knute Nelson

Knute Nelson (born February 2, 1843 in Voss , Norway , † April 28, 1923 in Timonium , Maryland ) was an American politician and governor of the state of Minnesota from 1893 to 1895 . He also represented his state in both chambers of Congress .

Early years and political advancement

Knute Nelson, 12 years old, and his mother.

In 1849, Knute Nelson immigrated to the United States from Norway with his mother. The family initially settled in Chicago . A year later, the company moved to Wisconsin . Knute Nelson attended, among other things, the Albion Academy in Dane County . After that he worked as a teacher himself. During the Civil War he served in the Union Army. In 1863 he was wounded and taken prisoner of war. He was later released.

After the war, Nelson studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1867. He then began to work in his new profession in Cambridge . Although he had temporarily sympathized with the Democrats before the war , he became a member of the Republican Party . From 1868 to 1869 he was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly . In 1871 he moved to Alexandra in Douglas County , Minnesota. In his new home state he continued his political career. Between 1872 and 1874 he was a district attorney and from 1874 to 1878 a member of the State Senate ; between 1882 and 1893 he was on the board of directors of the University of Minnesota .

Congressman and Governor

Statue of Knute Nelson in front of the Minnesota State Capitol

Between March 4, 1883 and March 3, 1889, Nelson represented his state for three terms in the US House of Representatives . On November 8, 1892 he was elected the new governor of his state. He held this office between January 4, 1893 and January 31, 1895. During this time he had to deal with an economic crisis that broke out in 1893 and a devastating forest fire in 1894. In the same year Nelson was confirmed in office. But after he was elected to the US Senate , he resigned from this post.

Nelson in the Senate

In 1894, Knute Nelson was elected to Congress as a Class 2 Senator. There he replaced William D. Washburn . Nelson was confirmed in the following years and could exercise the mandate between March 4, 1895 and his death on April 28, 1923. He was chairman of the committee that dealt with shipping on the Mississippi and its tributaries. He was also a member of various other committees, such as the Public Land Administration Committee, the Trade Committee, an Indian Committee, and the Legal Committee. Knute Nelson was married to Nicolina Jacobson, with whom he had five children.

Web links

Commons : Knute Nelson - Collection of images, videos and audio files

personal data
SURNAME	Nelson, Knute
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	February 2, 1843
PLACE OF BIRTH	Voss , Norway
DATE OF DEATH	April 28, 1923
Place of death	Timonium , Maryland