Richard Cunningham McCormick | |
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| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives from New York's1st district | |
| In office March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1897 | |
| Preceded by | James W. Covert |
| Succeeded by | Joseph M. Belford |
| Assistant Secretary of the Treasury | |
| In office April 3, 1877 – December 8, 1877 | |
| President | Rutherford B. Hayes |
| Preceded by | Curtis F. Burnham |
| Succeeded by | John B. Hawley |
| Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives fromArizona Territory | |
| In office March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1875 | |
| Preceded by | Coles Bashford |
| Succeeded by | Hiram Sanford Stevens |
| 2nd Governor ofArizona Territory | |
| In office March 14, 1866 – December 13, 1868 | |
| Nominated by | Andrew Johnson |
| Preceded by | John Noble Goodwin |
| Succeeded by | Anson P.K. Safford |
| 1st Secretary ofArizona Territory | |
| In office December 29, 1863 – March 14, 1866 | |
| Nominated by | Abraham Lincoln |
| Preceded by | N/A (Newly created position) |
| Succeeded by | James P. T. Carter |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1832-05-23)May 23, 1832 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | June 2, 1901(1901-06-02) (aged 69) New York City, U.S. |
| Party | Unionist/Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Margaret Hunt (1865–1867) Elizabeth Thurman (1873– ) |
| Signature | .png) |
Richard Cunningham McCormick Jr. (May 23, 1832 – June 2, 1901) was an American politician, businessman and journalist. He was the second Governor ofArizona Territory, three times delegate to theU.S. House of Representatives from Arizona Territory and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York. McCormick was a war correspondent during two conflicts and the creator of two Arizona newspapers.
McCormick was born on May 23, 1832, in New York City to Richard Cunningham and Sarah Matilda (Decker) McCormick. The senior McCormick wassecretary of the New York merchants' exchange. The younger McCormick suffered from poor health and was educated at home by private tutors with the expectation he would attend Columbia University.[1] Instead of enrolling in college, he became ill and was sent to Europe under theVictorian belief that travel had curative power. In 1854, while still in Europe, McCormick became a war correspondent reporting on theCrimean War. After his return, he wrote two books,A Visit to the Camp Before Sevastopol in 1855 andSt. Paul's to St. Sophia in 1860.[2]
At the age of 25, theredheaded McCormick went to work onWall Street.[3] Shortly thereafter, he became theYMCA's corresponding secretary and editedYoung Men's Magazine for two years. In 1860, at the request ofWilliam Cullen Bryant, he became editor of theNew York Evening Post. At the start ofAmerican Civil War, McCormick went to the front lines as a war correspondent.[1]
Politically, McCormick was elected a public school trustee for New York's 15th ward in 1858. This was followed by his becoming a member of the Republican State Committee in 1860 and working onAbraham Lincoln's presidential campaign.[4] In 1862, McCormick made an unsuccessful run for United States House of Representatives.[1] The same year he was appointed chief clerk for theDepartment of Agriculture.[4]
McCormick was married twice. The first time was to Margaret Grifiths Hunt of Rahway, New Jersey, on September 27, 1865.[5] The couple had met aboard asteamboat bound for New York City fromPanama earlier the same year.[6] Margaret died on April 30, 1867, while giving birth to astillborn child.[7] McCormick's second marriage was to Elizabeth Thurman, youngest daughter of SenatorAllen G. Thurman, on November 11, 1873.[8]
McCormick was nominated to beSecretary of Arizona Territory by President Lincoln on March 7, 1863. Following confirmation, he journeyed withGovernor Goodwin's party to the newly formed territory. McCormick took his oath of office on December 29, 1863, as part of theNavajo Springs ceremony that officially established Arizona Territory. As part of his official duties, he designed the territory's firstofficial seal.[9]
Outside his official duties, McCormick began theArizona Miner with aRamage press he had brought with him. The newspaper's first edition was printed on March 9, 1864, atFort Whipple and began regular operations inPrescott on June 22, 1864.[10] McCormick's control of the newspaper aided his political career by ensuring he could always receive favorable press coverage. The paper also provided a forum for McCormick to share his thoughts with the people of Arizona.[11] In 1868, following the territorial capital's move toTucson, McCormick sold his property in Prescott and purchased an interest in theWeekly Arizonian.[12] His association with theArizonian continued till October 1, 1870, when the paper's editor withdrew support for McCormick. McCormick's response was to repossess the paper's printing press and begin a new newspaper, theArizona Citizen, on October 15, 1870.[13]
During his service within the territory, and later as territorial delegate, McCormick was a leader in Arizona Territory's "Federal Ring". This group was a coalition of territorial officials and leading citizens that worked in a non-partisan fashion to protect the lives and property of the territory's American population, establishlaw and order, and develop Arizona's economic potential. To achieve their goals, the clique crossed traditional political divides of the day, with Northern Republican governors appointingSouthern Democrats andHispanics to governmental positions.[14] The "Federal Ring" dominated territorial politics between 1863 and 1877 and, while labeled a self-perpetuating oligarchy by critics, succeeded in providing a territorial government that was generally free of corruption and dishonesty.[15]
After Governor Goodwin was elected territorial delegate and left for Washington in late 1865, Secretary McCormick became acting governor of Arizona Territory. He was officially appointed as governor on March 14, 1866.[9] Among the chief issues McCormick faced were hostilities fromApache and other tribes. To deal with this threat he called for an increase in U.S. Army troops and a reorganization of small forts located throughout the territory into larger installations to maximize the number of soldiers available for action. Instead of the policy of extermination advocated by many within the territory, McCormick supported the creation ofIndian reservations.[16]
Economically, McCormick envisioned Arizona developing a mining-based economy similar to California's. To attract economic capital, he advocated alaissez-faire tax policy.[17] McCormick also pushed for the creation of the roads, railroads, telegraph lines and postal routes needed for such an economy to function. He also asked Congress to acquire additional land fromMexico so that Arizona could have a port on theGulf of California[18] To meet the need for food, the governor called for settlers and "tame" Indians to engage in farming.[19] To help protect the growing population from outlaws, McCormick asked the territorial legislation to create courthouses and jails.[20]
McCormick announced his candidacy for territorial delegate on March 12, 1868, with the election scheduled for June 3, 1868.[5] During his run, McCormick avoided normal party affiliations and instead ran as a non-partisan candidate under a "Unionist" banner. The election centered on the issue of the territorial capital having been moved the previous year, with allegations circulated that McCormick had been promised support fromPima County if he signed the bill.[21] McCormick only won a single county during the election, Pima, but the margin was sufficient for him to be elected territorial delegate.[22]
McCormick left Arizona Territory on December 13, 1868, to journey to Washington DC.[23] On his arrival in the Congress, McCormick's past acquaintances with influential people of the day allowed him to become unusually effective as a territorial delegate.[5] This influence allowed him to be chosen as chairman by the group of seven sitting territorial delegates in their efforts to obtain unified legislation in areas affectingUnited States territories.[24]
During his first term, McCormick's efforts were focused on theApache Wars and the establishment of additional postal routes within Arizona. Other areas he worked on included resolvingland title issues involving the town of Prescott and having Arizona Territory declared a separate land district.[25] After a return to Arizona to campaign, McCormick won re-election for his second term on November 8, 1870.[26]
McCormick's second term was again focused on the Apache Wars. The delegate was at odds with PresidentUlysses S. Grant's decision to sendVincent Colyer to negotiate with the Apache but was successful in his efforts to haveGeorge Crook resume military operations against the Apache.[27] During May 1871, while visiting his mother in New York, McCormick contractederysipelas and was blind for a short time. His right eye recovered, but the left was permanently lost.[28]
McCormick's opposition to President Grant's Indian "Peace Plan" allowed him to win re-election to his third term without opposition.[29] The term also saw him win a number of reforms. Using an argument that qualified individuals were not applying to be territorial officials because the cost of living exceeded the pay for various positions, he was able to have the pay for territorial legislators raised to US$6 per day and territorial governor's pay raised to US$3,000 per year.[30] He also succeeded in having the administration ofU.S. territories moved from theState Department to theDepartment of the Interior, with the transfer occurring on March 1, 1873.[8] McCormick also worked on a bill to restrict the killing ofAmerican bison except for use as food, legislation resolving citizenship issues of Mexican-born residents of Arizona who lived in land acquired through theGadsden Purchase, further expansion of mail routes and criminalization of acts that damaged or destroyed parts of the new military telegraph system.[31] McCormick chose not to run for a fourth term.[29]
After leaving office as territorial delegate, McCormick become a commissioner of theCentennial Exposition.[4] This was followed by becoming secretary of theRepublican National Committee in August 1876 and his working in the U.S. presidential campaign ofRutherford B. Hayes.[32] In 1877, McCormick was appointedAssistant Secretary of the Treasury.[4] This was followed by his being named United States Commissioner General to theParis Exposition in November 1877.[32] At the end of his service as commissioner, he was appointed Commander,Legion of Honor, by the President of France in 1878.[4][32]
McCormick was offeredministries to Brazil in 1877 and Mexico in 1879 but declined both offers.[32] Instead, he returned to New York City and settled in theJamaica neighborhood ofQueens. There he became involved in a number of business efforts, as president and/or director of several mining companies and trustee of a bank.[4] McCormick made unsuccessful runs for a seat in theUnited States House of Representatives in 1882 and 1886 before his election in 1894 to representNew York's first district for a single term.[32]
McCormick died on June 2, 1901, at his house in Jamaica.[4]
McCormick Street in downtown Tucson, Arizona, was named in his honor.[33]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Governor of Arizona Territory 1866–1868 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives fromArizona Territory 1869–1875 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromNew York's 1st congressional district 1895–1897 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
