Hamilton Fish II
Hamilton Fish II (April 17, 1849 – January 15, 1936) was an American lawyer and Republican politician who represented New York's 12th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives for one term during the 61st Congress (1909–1911). Born in Albany, New York, while his father served as governor, he was the eldest son of Hamilton Fish, the U.S. Secretary of State under President Ulysses S. Grant. Fish II pursued a legal career after graduating from Columbia Law School and entered politics through service in the New York State Assembly, where he eventually rose to the position of Speaker from 1895 to 1896.[1] His congressional tenure focused on regional interests, reflecting the political legacy of his prominent family, which included multiple generations of public servants, though he did not achieve the national prominence of his father or son, Hamilton Fish III.Early Life and Education
Family Heritage and Upbringing
Hamilton Fish II was born on April 17, 1849, in Albany, New York, while his father served as governor of the state.[2][3] His father, Hamilton Fish (1808–1893), was a leading figure in New York and national politics, having previously acted as lieutenant governor, U.S. congressman, and U.S. senator before his gubernatorial term from 1849 to 1850, and later as U.S. secretary of state under President Ulysses S. Grant from 1869 to 1877.[4] His mother, Julia Ursin Niemcewicz Kean (1816–1887), was the daughter of John Kean, a U.S. senator from New Jersey, linking the family to additional political lineages.[3] The Fish family traced its heritage to early Dutch settlers in New York, with paternal roots in Nicholas Fish (1758–1833), a Revolutionary War veteran who served as an aide-de-camp to Alexander Hamilton and held posts as New York state assemblyman and U.S. marshal; Nicholas named his son Hamilton after his associate.[5] The maternal Stuyvesant line through the elder Hamilton Fish's mother, Elizabeth Stuyvesant, connected to one of New York's oldest patrician families, reinforcing the clan's status in colonial and early republican elite circles.[6] This heritage instilled a tradition of public service and Federalist-Whig-Republican affiliation, shaping expectations for the younger Hamilton amid a household of siblings including Nicholas Fish II, Julia Kean Fish, and Susan Livingston Kean Fish.[7] Following his father's departure from the governorship, the family relocated to the Glenclyffe estate near Garrison in Putnam County, New York, acquired in 1860 as a Hudson Valley retreat symbolizing agrarian aristocracy and proximity to political power in Albany and New York City.[8] Fish II's upbringing there occurred in an environment of substantial wealth from family real estate, legal practice, and investments, fostering preparation for elite education at Columbia College, though specific childhood experiences emphasized disciplined intellectual and civic development over leisure, consistent with the era's patrician norms for dynastic heirs.[2]Academic and Professional Preparation
Hamilton Fish II received his early education at private schools in the United States and Switzerland.[9] He graduated from Columbia College in 1869.[9][10] After completing his undergraduate studies, Fish served as private secretary to his father, Nicholas Fish, a diplomat and banker, for two years.[9] He subsequently returned to Columbia University to attend Columbia Law School, graduating in 1873.[9] That same year, he was admitted to the New York bar.[9] Fish began practicing law in New York City upon gaining admission to the bar, providing him with initial professional experience in legal affairs prior to entering elective office.[9] His legal training and brief administrative role under his father equipped him with skills in governance, policy, and public administration that informed his later legislative service.[9]Political Career
Service in the New York State Assembly
Hamilton Fish II, having been admitted to the New York bar in 1873, entered Republican politics in Putnam County and was elected to the New York State Assembly that year, representing the county in the 97th session beginning in January 1874.[11] As a Republican assemblyman, he focused on state legislative matters pertinent to rural upstate districts like Putnam, amid a period of party competition between Republicans and Democrats in New York politics.[12] Fish secured re-election multiple times, accumulating twelve terms in the Assembly spanning 1874 to 1896, though not consecutively.[12][13] His service emphasized fidelity to Republican platforms, including support for business interests and infrastructure in agricultural regions, consistent with the party's dominance in the legislature during much of the Gilded Age. Specific legislative initiatives from his early terms remain sparsely recorded in secondary historical accounts, reflecting the era's emphasis on committee work over individual bill sponsorship.[14]Speakership of the New York State Assembly
Hamilton Fish II, a Republican assemblyman from Putnam County with extensive prior service, was selected as Speaker by the Republican caucus on January 1, 1895, for the upcoming legislative session. In the caucus vote among 104 Republicans, Fish received 73 votes, defeating George R. Malby, who garnered 22 votes, and Danforth E. Ainsworth, with 6 votes.[15] This strong majority underscored Fish's support within the party, despite speculation about factional challenges involving Malby as a potential anti-Platt figure.[15] Fish served as Speaker for two consecutive terms, presiding over the New York State Assembly from January 1895 through December 31, 1896.[16] His elevation to the speakership capped over two decades of intermittent service in the Assembly, where he had represented Putnam County in multiple sessions since his initial election in 1874.[16]