biography
| sex:
| male
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| lived:
| (1799–1889)
|
| biography:
| Businessman and politician, born in Lancaster Co, Pennsylvania, USA. Orphaned at age nine and largely self-educated, he began as a manager of newspapers, then bought the Harrisburg, PA Republican (1824). This gained him influence in politics, which in turn brought lucrative contracts as the state printer, and he also branched out into other businesses including railroads and banking. He served Pennsylvania in the US Senate, first as a coalition Democrat (1845–9), then as a Republican (1857–61). He supported Lincoln at the Republican convention (1860) and was rewarded with the post of secretary of war, but he proved to be so corrupt and inefficient that in January 1862 Lincoln appointed him ambassador to Russia. He returned to run unsuccessfully for the Senate (1863) but, regaining control of the Republican party, he held the seat for 10 years (1867–77), resigning in order for his son, James Donald Cameron, to succeed him. |
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