Hamilton Fish

Hamilton Fish (1808–1893) was an American politician and statesman from New York. A graduate of Columbia College, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives before becoming Governor of New York (1849–1851) and later a U.S. Senator (1851–1857). Fish returned to national prominence as U.S. Secretary of State under President Ulysses S. Grant (1869–1877). In that role he helped shape post–Civil War foreign policy, including the peaceful settlement of the Alabama Claims through international arbitration, and worked to stabilize relations with Britain and other powers. He was also a leading figure in the Republican Party during the Reconstruction era.