View source for Morgan C. Hamilton

{{Short description|American politician (1809–1893)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}

{{More citations needed|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Morgan Calvin Hamilton
| image               = Morgan C. Hamilton - Brady-Handy.jpg
| smallimage          = 
| caption             = 
| jr/sr               = United States Senator
| state               = [[Texas]]
| term_start          = March 31, 1870
| term_end            = March 3, 1877
| predecessor         = [[John Hemphill (U.S. senator)|John Hemphill]]
| successor           = [[Richard Coke]]
| birth_date          = {{birth date|1809|2|25}}
| birth_place         = [[Madison County, Alabama]], U.S.
| death_date          = {{death date and age|1893|11|21|1809|2|25}}
| death_place         = [[San Diego]], [[California]], U.S.
| party               = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]; [[Liberal Republican Party (United States)|Liberal Republican]]
| spouse              = 
| children            = 
| profession          = 
| residence           = 
| alma_mater          = 
| religion            = 
| resting_place       = [[Oakwood Cemetery (Austin, Texas)|Oakwood Cemetery]]
| relations           = [[Andrew Jackson Hamilton]] (brother)
}}
'''Morgan Calvin Hamilton''' (February 25, 1809 – November 21, 1893) was an American merchant, politician from [[Alabama]] and Texas, and brother of [[Andrew Jackson Hamilton]]. Both men were unusual as [[Unionist (United States)|Unionist]]s in Texas during the [[American Civil War]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=United States Senator Morgan C. Hamilton historical Marker – Williamson County Texas History |url=https://williamsoncountytexashistory.org/morgan-calvin-hamilton-coupland-williamson-county-texas/ |access-date=2023-08-07 |website=williamsoncountytexashistory.org}}</ref>

==Early life and career==
Morgan Calvin Hamilton was born in [[Madison County, Alabama]] near [[Huntsville, Alabama|Huntsville]]. His siblings included [[Andrew Jackson Hamilton]].

He moved to Texas when it was still part of Mexico and worked there as a merchant. For six years, from 1839 to 1845, he served in the war department of the [[Republic of Texas]], first as clerk and from 1844 to 1845 as [[List of officials of the Republic of Texas#Third elected government of the Texas Republic|Secretary of War]]. He settled in Austin.

One of the few Texan [[Abolitionism in the United States|abolitionists]], Hamilton fought for [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] forces during the American Civil War. During [[Reconstruction era of the United States|Reconstruction]], he was elected by the [[Texas Legislature]] to the [[United States Senate]] as a [[Radical Republican (USA)|Radical Republican]]. While in Congress, Hamilton voted for the [[Ku Klux Klan Act]], but against the [[Civil Rights Act of 1875]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=TO PASS H.R. 320. -- Senate Vote #50 -- Apr 14, 1871 |url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/42-1/s50 |access-date=2024-08-08 |website=GovTrack.us |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=TO PASS H.R. 796. -- Senate Vote #379 -- Feb 27, 1875 |url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/43-2/s379 |access-date=2024-08-08 |website=GovTrack.us |language=en}}</ref> He is buried in the [[Oakwood Cemetery (Austin, Texas)|Oakwood Cemetery]] in [[Austin, Texas]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=H000115 Biographic sketch at U.S. Congress website]
* {{Handbook of Texas|id=fha36|name=Morgan C. Hamilton}}

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{{s-par|us-sen}}
{{U.S. Senator box
|state=Texas
|class=2
|before=vacant<sup>(1)</sup>
|after=[[Richard Coke]]
|alongside=[[James W. Flanagan]], [[Samuel B. Maxey]]
|years=1870&ndash;1877}}
{{s-ref|Because Texas seceded from the Union in 1861, seat was declared vacant from 1861-1870 when John Hemphill withdrew from the Senate.|}}

{{USSenTX}}
{{TXRepublicSecWar}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamilton, Morgan}}
[[Category:1809 births]]
[[Category:1893 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Madison County, Alabama]]
[[Category:Republican Party United States senators from Texas]]
[[Category:Liberal Republican Party United States senators from Texas]]
[[Category:Texas Liberal Republicans]]
[[Category:American abolitionists]]
[[Category:People of Texas in the American Civil War]]
[[Category:Southern Unionists in the American Civil War]]
[[Category:Burials at Oakwood Cemetery (Austin, Texas)]]
[[Category:19th-century United States senators]]


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