Knute Nelson
Encyclopedia
Knute Nelson was an Norwegian American
politician. A Republican, he served in the Wisconsin Legislature
and Minnesota Legislature
, in the U.S. House of Representatives, as the 12th Governor of Minnesota, and as a U.S. Senator.
, Norway, and was initially given the name Knud Evanger. Baptized by his own uncle on the farm of Kvilekval, baptismal records list his father as Helge Knudsen Styve, who may in fact have been the father, but this is unconfirmed. Various theories persist about Nelson's paternity, including one involving Gjest Baardsen, a famous outlaw'.
In 1843, Ingebjørg's brother Jon sold the farm where she and Nelson lived to emigrate to Chicago. Ingebjørg and Nelson then moved to Bergen
, where she took work as a domestic servant. Having borrowed money for the passage, she and Nelson emigrated to the United States, arriving in Castle Garden on July 4, 1849, where the fireworks made a lasting impression on the seven-year-old Nelson, who immigrated under the name Knud Helgeson Kvilekval. Passing herself off as a widow–a myth that stuck until 1923–she made her way, probably over water, to Albany, New York
, and then via Buffalo
to Chicago, where Jon, who worked as a carpenter, took them in. Nelson and his mother stayed there for some time, then took other work as a domestic servant in Chicago, paying off her debt in less than a year.
Nelson also worked, first as a servant, then as a paper boy for the Chicago Free Press. This job provided him with this first education, both because he read the paper and because he learned street profanity.
In the fall of 1850, Nils Olson Grotland, also from Voss, married Ingebjørg, and the family of three moved to Skoponong, a Norwegian settlement in Palmyra, Wisconsin
. Nelson took the name "Nelson" at this point, having eliminated the stigma of fatherlessness.
Nelson arrived in Skoponong a street-smart, rebellious boy with a proclivity toward profanity. He was accepted to the school held by Mary Blackwell Dillon, an Irish immigrant with linguistic talents. Nelson proved himself an apt student with lax discipline, and he later recalled he was whipped as many as three times a day.
Nelson joined the Democratic Party in his teens out of admiration for Stephen A. Douglas
. The family moved to the famed Koshkonong
settlement, where Nelson's stepfather had bad luck with land purchases and became sickly. Nelson picked up most of the work of the farm, but maintained his commitment to education. His stepfather was not supportive, and Nelson often had to scrounge to find money for schoolbooks.
Nelson's academic interests led him to enroll in Albion Academy in Albion
in Dane County, Wisconsin
, in the fall of 1858. The school was founded by the Seventh-day Adventist Church
on the premise that poverty should not prevent anyone from getting a good education, and Nelson was deemed "very deserving." Nevertheless, Nelson sought to earn his keep by doing various odd, but hard, jobs around the school.
After two years, Nelson took a job as a country teacher in Pleasant Springs
near Stoughton
, teaching mostly Norwegian immigrants, where he became a credible agent of Americanization.
Nelson returned to Albion in the spring of 1861. By then, he had developed his position as a "low-tariff, anti-slavery, pro-Union Democrat," but finding himself in a minority against the popularity of Abraham Lincoln
in the region. In May 1861, he and other eighteen Albion students enlisted in a state militia company, known as the Black Hawk Rifles of Racine
to fight with the Federal Army in the American Civil War
. Appalled by the debauchery of this company, they refused to be sworn into the United States Army
with this militia, and eventually succeeded in being transferred to the Fourth Wisconsin Volunteers
. (This was an "all-American" regiment, unlike the "all-Scandinavian" 15th Wisconsin Volunteer Regiment
, where he most likely would have ended up if he hadn't volunteered through Albion).
Nelson's parents were opposed to his volunteering to military service, but he himself saw it as a patriotic duty. He sent half his soldier's pay to his parents to help retire the debt on the farm. He seems to have enjoyed army life, noting that the food was better than at home. He shared the frustration of his fellow soldiers over not being put into battle soon enough. His unit moved from Racine, Wisconsin
to Camp Dix near Baltimore
, Maryland. From there they moved to combat operations in Louisiana
.
On May 27, 1863, after the 4th Wisconsin had become a cavalry
unit, Nelson was wounded in the Battle of Port Hudson, captured and made a prisoner of war
, and then released when the siege ended. He served as an adjutant, was promoted to corporal, and briefly considered applying for a lieutenant's commission.
The most important effect of Nelson's military service was to sharpen his sense of identity and patriotism. He was deeply concerned about what he considered an ambivalent attitude among Norwegian-American Lutheran clergy toward slavery, and thought that too few of his fellow Norwegian-Americans in Koshkonong had volunteered. He read the Norwegian translation of Esaias Tegnér
's Friðþjófs saga ins frœkna
and found it enthralling, apparently finding it a synthesis of his Norwegian heritage and American home through its unsentimental depiction of character and virtue.
Within two years after he mustered out, Nelson acquired his United States citizenship. His naked disdain for the Copperheads
also contributed to his becoming a Republican after the war.
where he started to "read law" at the law office offices of William F. Vilas, one of the few academically trained attorneys in the area. In the spring of 1867 he was admitted to the Wisconsin bar by judge Philip L. Spooner.
He opened his own law practice in Madison, targeting the Norwegian immigrant community, advertising in the Norwegian language newspaper Emigranten. He also became the unofficial representative of the Norwegian community in the Madison community. With the help of Eli A. Spencer, he successfully ran for Dane County
's seat in the Wisconsin State Assembly
, starting its session on January 8, 1868. During his tenure in the assembly, he married Nicholina Jacobsen, originally from Toten
in Norway – she was already five months' pregnant when they married, and because Nelson had poor relations with the local Lutheran clergy they were married by the Justice of the Peace Lars Erdall in a private home.
A recession limited the couple's financial success, and while Nelson slept in his office in Madison for his legislative and professional career, Nicholina and the newborn Ida stayed in Koshkonong. He was reelected for the Wisconsin Assembly, having learned quickly how to get things done in politics. He got involved in a divisive debate about public and parochial schools in Norwegian communities, taking the "liberal" side that promoted public, non-sectarian schools. After his second term in the Wisconsin Assembly, he decided not to run for reelection.
Nelson had for some time been interested in moving further west when he in 1870 was invited by Lars K. Aaker to set up a practice in Alexandria, Minnesota
, in Douglas County
, part of the state's "Upper Country." Nelson was attracted by the possibilities afforded by the opening frontier, especially the prospect of the railroad. After also visiting Fergus Falls
, he moved his wife and newborn son Henry to Alexandria in August 1871. He was admitted to the Minnesota bar in October and set up a legal practice primarily around land cases referred to him by Aaker, the land agent. He also bought a 120 acre (0.4856232 km²) homestead
in Alexandria, a claim that was contested but which he won. He also became an accomplished trial lawyer, was elected the Douglas County attorney, and acted as the county attorney for Pope County
.
As was typically the case at that time, Nelson's legal work on land issues got him involved in political issues. He became a champion for the economic development of the Upper Country through the introduction of the railroad.
candidate for the Minnesota Senate
in 1874, running against banker Francis Bennett Van Hoesen, who was aligned with the Grange movement
and state Anti-Monopoly Party
. Though Nelson did not get unanimous support from his Norwegian-American constituency, he still carried 59 percent of the vote and four out of five counties in his constituency.
Nelson's first challenge in the state senate was a contentious issue, whether to re-elect Alexander Ramsey
to the United States Senate
for a third term, against the wishes of governor Cushman Davis
. This proved to be a balancing act for Nelson, who was caught between his allegiance to the Douglas county Republicans, who were staunch Davis supporters; and his land office constituency, who favored the incumbent. Nelson voted for Ramsey, dark-horse candidate William D. Washburn
, and finally for the victor, Samuel J. R. McMillan
.
Nelson then turned his attention from what he called the "Senatorial game of chance" to the issue of extending the railroad infrastructure into the Upper Country. His constituents elected him in large part to resolve the gridlock that prevented the completion of the railroad extension from St. Cloud
west to Alexandria and beyond. The railroad company, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (SP&P), had run out of funds to complete the so-called St. Vincent extension, and the bondholders were unwilling to invest further. The Minnesota legislature agreed on the need for the railroad but were not in a position to pay for its completion.
In 1875, Nelson introduced a bill – the Upper Country bill – that gave SP&P added incentives in the form of land to complete the line, but also imposed a deadline after which the rights to build the railroad were forfeited, presumably in favor of Northern Pacific, whose plans would bypass Alexandria. The bill met with controversy from both sides of the issue and was ultimately amended to the point that Nelson first sought to table it, and then abstained from voting on it himself. Still, the bill was enacted and was considered a success in its time, with most of the credit going to Nelson.
It took several years for the various financial and political matters to be sorted out, and Nelson played an active role throughout, both as an elected official, attorney, and businessman. He secured rights-of-way for virtually the entire line Alexandria to Fergus Falls, negotiating with many stakeholders for every tract of land. This proved to be an all-consuming effort for several years, though he did run unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor of Minnesota in 1879.
In May 1877, he was overcome with personal tragedy: three of his five children died during a diphtheria
epidemic, leaving him with his oldest, Ida, and Henry.
In November 1878, the train finally reached Alexandria, thanks in large part to Nelson's close working relationship with James J. Hill
. Several towns in Minnesota were founded as a result of these efforts, including Nelson
and Ashby
.
in Congress.
By then, Nelson had developed the strategy of orchestrating a "bottoms-up" campaign in which he would quietly enlist supporters to publicly encourage him to run, only to appear reluctant about the candidacy. His constituency in the frontier in the Upper Country put him at a disadvantage with respect to the rivaling Twin Cities. After having flexed his political muscle by "bolting" from the campaign for a few weeks, he put his support behind the Republican nomination of Jacob Stewart
, a medical doctor from St. Paul, who won the election against the Democrat William McNair. This endorsement did not get backed by the Norwegian-American community, however, who both were concerned about the perceived Know-Nothingness
of Stewart, and the notion that a ruling class was emerging.
. This appeared to be the perfect launching pad for Nelson's career in national politics. As before, he entered the race quietly, first securing for himself a seat on the Board of Regents at the University of Minnesota
, where he also managed to establish a department of Scandinavian studies.
The campaign opened in 1882 and quickly devolved into one of the most contentious elections in history at that point. The contest between Nelson and Charles F. Kindred for the "Bloody Fifth," as it became known, involved graft, intimidation, and election fraud at every turn. The Republican convention on July 12 in Detroit Lakes
was compared to the Battle of the Boyne
. 150 delegates fought over 80 seats, and after a scuffle in the main conference center, the Kindred and Nelson campaigns nominated each of their candidates.
The rivalry between Kindred and Nelson centered to a large extent on the two competing railroads in the Upper Country, the Northern Pacific in Kindred's corner and the Great Northern in Nelson's. Kindred ended up spending between $150,000 and $200,000, but Nelson won handily, overcoming massive election fraud in Northern Pacific counties.
Nelson served in the United States House of Representatives
from March 4, 1883 to March 4, 1889 in the 48th
, 49th
, and 50th congresses
. In keeping with practices of the Gilded Age
, Nelson's first agenda item in Congress was to ensure patronage for his supporters in Minnesota by doling out the limited number of federal appointments available. Most were made through Paul C. Sletten, the Receiver of the U.S. Land Office in Crookston
. In addition to rewarding political support, he also was obliged to flex political muscle by replacing pro-Kindred appointees in the forested counties around the Northern Pacific Railroad, the so-called "Pineries." Particularly publicized was the firing of Søren Listoe as the Register of the U.S. Land Office in Fergus Falls.
Nelson was frustrated by what he perceived as the lack of effectiveness in the House. He got involved in long debates about pension issues for Civil War veterans, but his most notable legacy as a representative was in passing the 1889 Nelson Act, which effectively created the White Earth Indian Reservation
, which freed up significant land for immigrants, at the expense of Native Americans.
Considering his time in the House a "personal failure," he decided not to seek reelection in 1888. Some suspect that his narrow escape from a drowning accident on October 11, 1886 also played a role in increasing his ambition.
Increasing pressure on the Minnesotan agricultural economy gave rise to the Farmers' Alliance
, which became a formidable political force within both parties, but especially the Republican party. In 1890, the alliance voted to run its own candidates, and there was talk of making Nelson one such candidate. In the Minnesota alliance convention in July 1890, Nelson did not acknowledge interest from the delegates, which ended up nominating Sidney M. Owen as their candidate. But after the Alliance made a strong showing in the 1890 legislative election, Nelson's star rose further in the state Republican party, as his standing in the Upper Country was a strong alternative to the Alliance.
Nelson saw this as an opportunity to build his candidacy for governor, though there are indications that his ultimate goal all along was the U.S. Senate. As was his practice, he arranged to have himself drafted as a candidate by others, rather than actively pursuing office. To a great extent, this was assured through the support of appointed officeholder who feared losing patronage to Alliance political victories. Appealing to the Republican need for unity at the convention, he maneuvred to gain the support of rivals such as Davis and Washburn, or at least avoid their opposition. He was unanimously nominated by 709 delegates as the Republican candidate for governor on July 28, 1892 in the St. Paul People's Church. His acceptance speech was a libertarian broadside against both Democrats and Populists and emboldened the delegates for the election campaign.
The ensuing campaign against the Democratic nominee Daniel Lawler and Populist Ignatius Donnelly
centered on allegations of undue influence by railroad interests, tariffs, and ethnicity and patriotism. When Nelson took the campaign to northwestern Minnesota, he had a minor physical altercation with Tobias Sawby, a local populist. After a grueling campaign, he carried 51 of 80 counties with 42.6% (109,220) of the votes against Lawler's 37% and Donnelly's 15.6%. He gave a short victory speech in Alexandria, saying "I go in without having made any promises to any combine, corporation, or person, and shall endeavor to do right, because it is right, and I endeavor to give an administration for the people, for the people, and by the people."
As governor, Nelson had significant limitations on his ability to pursue his outlined policy. The balance of power in Minnesota was shared among five independently elected officials, the state legislature, and the governor. In his inaugural speech on January 4, 1893, he presented himself as a fiscal conservative with an affinity for education and he dwelled on statistics related to various state services and for solutions.
Nelson used his governorship as a bully pulpit for modest Republican reforms that were meant to provide more reasonable alternatives to the more radical Populist actions. He promoted the "Governor's Grain Bill" as a way to regulate trade in grain, specifically by giving the Railroad and Warehouse Commission the authority to license, inspect, and regulate country grain elevators. The Republican members of the legislature supported it as well, going so far as making it a party measure. Opposition to the bill from Democrats and Populists were based on suspicion against the railroad commission. The bill went through two rounds of voting with considerable horse trading but in the end won narrowly, giving Nelson credibility as a political force.
Nelson also ended up cooperating with his former adversary, Ignatius Donnelly on the "timber ring" investigation that sought to put an end to land claim fraud in lumber areas. Nelson convened an interstate Anti-Trust Conference in Chicago on June 5, 1893, where he spoke against the lumber trust and in favor of strengthening the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890.
The Panic of 1893
created a crisis for the railroad companies, and after a series of wage cuts in the Great Northern, the American Railway Union
went on strike on April 13. Nelson sought to hedge his position by suggesting that the parties engage in arbitration while demanding law and order from the strikers. He then removed himself from the conflict, leaving enforcement to Federal marshals and left the arbitration to private business leaders. The strike was resolved largely in favor of the workers, and Nelson was left untarnished.
He was renominated handily for the 1894 campaign, running again against Populist Sidney Owen and Democrat George Becker
. He ran this campaign on dry facts, projecting the image of a systematic and scientific reformer compared to such populist speakers as Mary Ellen Lease and Jerry Simpson
. He demonstrated hands-on leadership in the particularly dry summer of 1894, when the Great Hinckley Fire
spread across east-central Minnesota on September 1. Although the state did not have the financial means to provide direct support, Nelson used his office to encourage private relief efforts. He won the election with 60,000 votes more than Owen.
Nelson's campaign for election to the United States Senate was reported to have begun early in 1894. It was conducted quietly and behind the scenes, to avoid the appearance that his bid for governorship was less than genuine, and also to avoid an internal Republican feud with the incumbent US senator William D. Washburn
.
Before the 17th Amendment
went into effect in 1914, U.S. senators were elected by their state legislatures, so Nelson's campaign for Minnesota's second Senate seat was a "still hunt," consisting of building support among incoming legislators while letting Washburn think that he was running unopposed for the Republican nomination.
Sensing Nelson's rising star in the Republican establishment, Washburn tried on the one hand to obtain unequivocal assurance from Nelson that he was not in the race for the Senate; while solidifying his standing as the Minneapolis candidate. On September 21, 1894, the two candidates met at the Freeborn county fair in Albert Lea
, where Nelson was asked directly whether he supported Washburn's candidacy or had his own designs for the Senate seat. Accounts vary about his exact wording, but the prevailing view was that, in an impressive demonstration of parisology encouraged the state legislature "...to elect your Republican legislative ticket, so as to send my friend Washburn back the United States senate, or if you do not like him, send some other good Republican."
It became apparent that Nelson's strategy was to first prevent Washburn from gaining a straightforward majority in either the nomination or the election in the Republican caucus, and then appear as a unifying choice for the Republicans. To do this, he had to strike a fine balance between appealing to Scandinavian ethnic pride on the one hand and showing himself a true American on the other; between the appearance of treachery against Washburn and maintaining an honest impression.
The campaign came to a head in the so-called "Three Week War," or "Hotel Campaign" that was in full force by January 5, 1895. The confrontations, lobbying, cajoling, and alleged bribery centered around the Windsor and Merchants hotels in St. Paul. Legislators were unnerved by the campaign, and the outcome remained uncertain, and return visits to their constituencies in mid-January did little to clarify public opinion. Public meetings with "wirepullers" had similarly little effect.
Nelson's strength became apparent but was not yet decisive on January 18 when the Republicans caucused. Washburn fell well short of reaching the necessary 72 votes to nominate, and a number of erstwhile supporters fell to Nelson the second ballot. By the time the election went to the full legislature, it was apparent that Washburn had lost. On January 23 Nelson was elected to the United States Senate, the first Scandinavian-born American to reach this post. Washburn was exhausted from the campaign but called for direct, popular elections of senators. It is remembered as one of the bitterest elections in Minnesota political history.
The legacy of the campaign was manifold: Washburn cut a wealthy, urban, aristocratic native Yankee from Maine to Nelson's hard-working immigrant from the Upper Country. Nelson's victory reinforced the growing influence of Minnesota outside the Twin Cities, and it gave considerable rise to Scandinavian political awareness. Nelson decided early to make this image his platform, asking his constituency to call him Uncle Knute.
did not convene until December 1895, and though Nelson was impatient about getting to work, he spent the recess traveling and working on his farm. He also translated the Constitution of Norway
to English and studied the Free Silver
issue. This was the subject of his first Senate speech, on December 31, 1895, when he advocated a paper currency
.
Nelson maintained – as he would throughout his career – a strong anti-Populist, though pragmatic profile. His most important first term accomplishment is probably the Nelson Bankruptcy Law intended to give farmers the means to enter into voluntary, as opposed to forced bankruptcy by creditors. He positioned this as an alternative to the Judiciary Committee
that was much harsher to debtors. Although he championed the bill for its own merits, it also gave him an opportunity to disassociate himself from his background as an attorney, and also build favor with his agricultural constituency. After 18 months of painstaking negotiations, Nelson managed to get the bill passed by Congress on June 24, 1898. Filing bankruptcy would be known for some time afterwards as "taking the Nelson cure."
If Nelson had shown his independent instincts in the bankruptcy law, he toed the party line in his position on the Spanish-American War
, where he enthusiastically supported the war effort. He got embroiled in a bitter debate on the Senate floor on the issue of annexing the Philippines
and Hawaii. He and one of the authors of the treaty, senior Minnesota senator, Cushman Davis, voted with the majority in ratifying the Treaty of Paris
, and is often quoted for saying that:
Nelson always took care in public to define himself first and foremost as an American, with no conflicted loyalty to his birth country. But in the background he had supported Norway in various ways, and notably in inviting Norwegian officers to observe and learn from American tactics in Cuba. He had been planning a trip to Norway for some time, but made sure he would visit Sweden
and Denmark
, emphasizing his Scandinavian-American background.
He traveled alone and made his home town of Evanger
one of the first stops. He arrived at the village in a horse-drawn buggy with only his luggage and was received as an honored guest. He spoke in his native dialect
of Vossemål, slipping only into riksmål only when he felt it necessary to make an important political point. His hosts quickly started addressing him in the familiar "du Knut," which he appeared to enjoy.
From his birth town of Evanger, Nelson traveled on to Kristiania, where he refused official honors, and to Stockholm
, where he made even less fuss. He spent a week in Copenhagen
, visiting with his own patronage appointments Laurits Swenson, U.S. ambassador to Denmark and Søren Listoe, consul to Rotterdam. He had an audience with king Christian IX
and a formal dinner hosted by Swenson. He traveled through the contentious area of Schleswig-Holstein
and the site of the Battle of Waterloo
.
He traveled home via England and happened to be in the visitor's gallery in the British parliament on October 17 when Queen Victoria had convened an extraordinary session to debate the Second Boer War
.
and Robert M. LaFollette as they swung through the state campaigning for William McKinley
. Nelson was known more for thoroughness than charisma in his campaigns, but contributed significantly to the Republican success that year. As it turned out, Nelson's son Henry Knute Nelson was elected to the Minnesota state legislature that year. Nelson's reelection to a second U.S. Senate term was assured for all practical purposes. The campaign continued into 1902, when Nelson made a name for himself by commandeering a handcar
when his train broke down east of Hibbing, Minnesota
, making his own way to Wolf Junction, Minnesota at a brisk pace.
Up until that point, Nelson's political career was largely based on the issues of an unfolding economic frontier, with land development, immigration, and Gilded Age dynamics. With the birth of the Progressive Era, the winds of reform started blowing more from the east than the west, and urban issues came more to the forefront. As a result, Nelson had to reinvent his political strategy.
In the cross-winds of the political movements of the time, he chose a largely "moderate progressive" profile, accepting government intervention on some issues (e.g., anti-trust matters) but opposed anything that smacked of socialism. He eased up on patronage as a political tool and focused instead on helping his constituents in matters small and large, often invoking the image of himself as a "drayhorse" – a hard-working, persistent advocate for the things and people he believed in.
, the passage of the Nelson Bankruptcy Act in 1898, and serving on the Overman Committee
from 1918 to 1919. He served in the senate in the 54th
, 55th
, 56th
, 57th
, 58th
, 59th
, 60th
, 61st
, 62nd
, 63rd
, 64th
, 65th
, 66th
, and 67th congresses
. He served in the Senate until his death in 1923 enroute by train from Washington, D.C. to his hometown of Alexandria, Minnesota
, where he was buried.
While debating the Treaty of Paris (1898)
on the senate floor, Nelson said: "Providence has given the United States the duty of extending Christian civilization. We come as ministering angels, not despots."
Norwegian American
Norwegian Americans are Americans of Norwegian descent. Norwegian immigrants went to the United States primarily in the later half of the 19th century and the first few decades of the 20th century. There are more than 4.5 million Norwegian Americans according to the most recent U.S. census, and...
politician. A Republican, he served in the Wisconsin Legislature
Wisconsin Legislature
The Wisconsin Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house Wisconsin Senate and the lower Wisconsin Assembly...
and Minnesota Legislature
Minnesota Legislature
The Minnesota Legislature is the legislative branch of government in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is a bicameral legislature located at the Minnesota Capitol in Saint Paul and it consists of two houses: the lower Minnesota House of Representatives and the Minnesota Senate...
, in the U.S. House of Representatives, as the 12th Governor of Minnesota, and as a U.S. Senator.
Early life
Nelson was born out of wedlock to Ingebjørg Haldorsdatter Kvilekval in VossVoss
is a municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Voss. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Vossevangen....
, Norway, and was initially given the name Knud Evanger. Baptized by his own uncle on the farm of Kvilekval, baptismal records list his father as Helge Knudsen Styve, who may in fact have been the father, but this is unconfirmed. Various theories persist about Nelson's paternity, including one involving Gjest Baardsen, a famous outlaw'.
In 1843, Ingebjørg's brother Jon sold the farm where she and Nelson lived to emigrate to Chicago. Ingebjørg and Nelson then moved to Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
, where she took work as a domestic servant. Having borrowed money for the passage, she and Nelson emigrated to the United States, arriving in Castle Garden on July 4, 1849, where the fireworks made a lasting impression on the seven-year-old Nelson, who immigrated under the name Knud Helgeson Kvilekval. Passing herself off as a widow–a myth that stuck until 1923–she made her way, probably over water, to Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, and then via Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
to Chicago, where Jon, who worked as a carpenter, took them in. Nelson and his mother stayed there for some time, then took other work as a domestic servant in Chicago, paying off her debt in less than a year.
Nelson also worked, first as a servant, then as a paper boy for the Chicago Free Press. This job provided him with this first education, both because he read the paper and because he learned street profanity.
In the fall of 1850, Nils Olson Grotland, also from Voss, married Ingebjørg, and the family of three moved to Skoponong, a Norwegian settlement in Palmyra, Wisconsin
Palmyra, Wisconsin
Palmyra is a village in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, United States, along the Scuppernong River. It was named after Palmyra, Syria, an oasis city mentioned in the Bible. The name means "sandy soil." The population was 1,766 at the 2000 census...
. Nelson took the name "Nelson" at this point, having eliminated the stigma of fatherlessness.
Nelson arrived in Skoponong a street-smart, rebellious boy with a proclivity toward profanity. He was accepted to the school held by Mary Blackwell Dillon, an Irish immigrant with linguistic talents. Nelson proved himself an apt student with lax discipline, and he later recalled he was whipped as many as three times a day.
Nelson joined the Democratic Party in his teens out of admiration for Stephen A. Douglas
Stephen A. Douglas
Stephen Arnold Douglas was an American politician from the western state of Illinois, and was the Northern Democratic Party nominee for President in 1860. He lost to the Republican Party's candidate, Abraham Lincoln, whom he had defeated two years earlier in a Senate contest following a famed...
. The family moved to the famed Koshkonong
Koshkonong, Wisconsin
Koshkonong is a town in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,395 at the 2000 census. The town entirely surrounds the city of Fort Atkinson. The unincorporated communities of Blackhawk Island, Koshkonong Mounds, and Vinnie Ha Ha are located in the town...
settlement, where Nelson's stepfather had bad luck with land purchases and became sickly. Nelson picked up most of the work of the farm, but maintained his commitment to education. His stepfather was not supportive, and Nelson often had to scrounge to find money for schoolbooks.
Nelson's academic interests led him to enroll in Albion Academy in Albion
Albion, Dane County, Wisconsin
Albion is a town in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States, located about 27 miles southeast of Madison on Interstate 90. The population was 1,823 at the 2000 Census. The unincorporated communities of Albion and Hillside are located in the town.-History:...
in Dane County, Wisconsin
Dane County, Wisconsin
As of the census of 2000, there were 426,526 people, 173,484 households, and 100,794 families residing in the county. The population density was 355 people per square mile . There were 180,398 housing units at an average density of 150 per square mile...
, in the fall of 1858. The school was founded by the Seventh-day Adventist Church
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
on the premise that poverty should not prevent anyone from getting a good education, and Nelson was deemed "very deserving." Nevertheless, Nelson sought to earn his keep by doing various odd, but hard, jobs around the school.
After two years, Nelson took a job as a country teacher in Pleasant Springs
Pleasant Springs, Wisconsin
Pleasant Springs is a town in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,053 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated community of Kegonsa is located in the town.-Geography:...
near Stoughton
Stoughton, Wisconsin
Stoughton is a city in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States and is a neighbor of Madison. It straddles the Yahara River about 20 miles southeast of the capital, Madison. Stoughton is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, teaching mostly Norwegian immigrants, where he became a credible agent of Americanization.
Military service
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
in the region. In May 1861, he and other eighteen Albion students enlisted in a state militia company, known as the Black Hawk Rifles of Racine
Racine, Wisconsin
Racine is a city in and the county seat of Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city had a population of 82,196...
to fight with the Federal Army in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Appalled by the debauchery of this company, they refused to be sworn into the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
with this militia, and eventually succeeded in being transferred to the Fourth Wisconsin Volunteers
Fourth Wisconsin Volunteer Regiment
The 4th Wisconsin Volunteer Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War, primarily in the Western Theater. It was later mounted and became the 4th Wisconsin Volunteer Cavalry Regiment.-History:...
. (This was an "all-American" regiment, unlike the "all-Scandinavian" 15th Wisconsin Volunteer Regiment
15th Wisconsin Volunteer Regiment
The 15th Regiment Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, more popularly known as the "Scandinavian Regiment", was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:...
, where he most likely would have ended up if he hadn't volunteered through Albion).
Nelson's parents were opposed to his volunteering to military service, but he himself saw it as a patriotic duty. He sent half his soldier's pay to his parents to help retire the debt on the farm. He seems to have enjoyed army life, noting that the food was better than at home. He shared the frustration of his fellow soldiers over not being put into battle soon enough. His unit moved from Racine, Wisconsin
Racine, Wisconsin
Racine is a city in and the county seat of Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city had a population of 82,196...
to Camp Dix near Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland. From there they moved to combat operations in Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
.
On May 27, 1863, after the 4th Wisconsin had become a cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
unit, Nelson was wounded in the Battle of Port Hudson, captured and made a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
, and then released when the siege ended. He served as an adjutant, was promoted to corporal, and briefly considered applying for a lieutenant's commission.
The most important effect of Nelson's military service was to sharpen his sense of identity and patriotism. He was deeply concerned about what he considered an ambivalent attitude among Norwegian-American Lutheran clergy toward slavery, and thought that too few of his fellow Norwegian-Americans in Koshkonong had volunteered. He read the Norwegian translation of Esaias Tegnér
Esaias Tegnér
Esaias Tegnér , was a Swedish writer, professor of Greek language, and bishop. He was during the 19th century regarded as the father of modern poetry in Sweden, mainly through the national romantic epos Frithjof's Saga. He has been called Sweden's first modern man...
's Friðþjófs saga ins frœkna
Friðþjófs saga ins frœkna
Friðþjófs saga hins frœkna is a legendary saga from Iceland which in its present form is from ca 1300. It is a continuation from The Saga of Thorstein Víkingsson . It takes place principally in Norway during the 8th century.-Synopsis:King Beli of Sogn, Norway had two sons and a daughter named...
and found it enthralling, apparently finding it a synthesis of his Norwegian heritage and American home through its unsentimental depiction of character and virtue.
Within two years after he mustered out, Nelson acquired his United States citizenship. His naked disdain for the Copperheads
Copperheads (politics)
The Copperheads were a vocal group of Democrats in the Northern United States who opposed the American Civil War, wanting an immediate peace settlement with the Confederates. Republicans started calling anti-war Democrats "Copperheads," likening them to the venomous snake...
also contributed to his becoming a Republican after the war.
Local politics in Wisconsin
Nelson returned to Albion and completed his studies there, one of the oldest students, graduating at the top of his class. There he gave his first campaign speech on record on behalf of Abraham Lincoln, drawing praise from the faculty. He decided to become a lawyer and moved to MadisonMadison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
where he started to "read law" at the law office offices of William F. Vilas, one of the few academically trained attorneys in the area. In the spring of 1867 he was admitted to the Wisconsin bar by judge Philip L. Spooner.
He opened his own law practice in Madison, targeting the Norwegian immigrant community, advertising in the Norwegian language newspaper Emigranten. He also became the unofficial representative of the Norwegian community in the Madison community. With the help of Eli A. Spencer, he successfully ran for Dane County
Dane County, Wisconsin
As of the census of 2000, there were 426,526 people, 173,484 households, and 100,794 families residing in the county. The population density was 355 people per square mile . There were 180,398 housing units at an average density of 150 per square mile...
's seat in the Wisconsin State Assembly
Wisconsin State Assembly
The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin....
, starting its session on January 8, 1868. During his tenure in the assembly, he married Nicholina Jacobsen, originally from Toten
Toten
Toten is a traditional district in Oppland county in the eastern part of Norway. It consists of the municipalities Østre Toten, Vestre Toten, and Gjøvik.Toten was a petty kingdom in the early Viking Ages, with Halfdan Hvitbeinn as the most notable king....
in Norway – she was already five months' pregnant when they married, and because Nelson had poor relations with the local Lutheran clergy they were married by the Justice of the Peace Lars Erdall in a private home.
A recession limited the couple's financial success, and while Nelson slept in his office in Madison for his legislative and professional career, Nicholina and the newborn Ida stayed in Koshkonong. He was reelected for the Wisconsin Assembly, having learned quickly how to get things done in politics. He got involved in a divisive debate about public and parochial schools in Norwegian communities, taking the "liberal" side that promoted public, non-sectarian schools. After his second term in the Wisconsin Assembly, he decided not to run for reelection.
The Minnesota frontier
Alexandria, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,820 people, however the most recent count suggests a population upwards of 10,000, which is displayed on Alexandria's city limits signs. The census lists 4,047 households, and 2,011 families residing in the city. The population density was 992.5 people per...
, in Douglas County
Douglas County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 32,821 people, 13,276 households, and 9,027 families residing in the county. The population density was 52 people per square mile . There were 16,694 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...
, part of the state's "Upper Country." Nelson was attracted by the possibilities afforded by the opening frontier, especially the prospect of the railroad. After also visiting Fergus Falls
Fergus Falls, Minnesota
Fergus Falls is a city in and the county seat of Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 13,138 at the 2010 census.-Today:...
, he moved his wife and newborn son Henry to Alexandria in August 1871. He was admitted to the Minnesota bar in October and set up a legal practice primarily around land cases referred to him by Aaker, the land agent. He also bought a 120 acre (0.4856232 km²) homestead
Homestead Act
A homestead act is one of three United States federal laws that gave an applicant freehold title to an area called a "homestead" – typically 160 acres of undeveloped federal land west of the Mississippi River....
in Alexandria, a claim that was contested but which he won. He also became an accomplished trial lawyer, was elected the Douglas County attorney, and acted as the county attorney for Pope County
Pope County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,236 people, 4,513 households, and 3,064 families residing in the county. The population density was 17 people per square mile . There were 5,827 housing units at an average density of 9 per square mile...
.
As was typically the case at that time, Nelson's legal work on land issues got him involved in political issues. He became a champion for the economic development of the Upper Country through the introduction of the railroad.
Minnesota state senator
The so-called "Aaker faction" within the Upper County Republican party found in Nelson a capable politician, what with connections to the immigrant community, experience in land-office issues, and political background in Wisconsin. He was put forward as a RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
candidate for the Minnesota Senate
Minnesota Senate
The Minnesota Senate is the upper house in the Minnesota Legislature. There are 67 members, half as many as are in the Minnesota House of Representatives. In terms of membership, it is the largest upper house of any state legislature. Each Senate district in the state includes an A and B House...
in 1874, running against banker Francis Bennett Van Hoesen, who was aligned with the Grange movement
Grange movement
The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, also simply styled the Grange, is a fraternal organization for American farmers that encourages farm families to band together for their common economic and political well-being...
and state Anti-Monopoly Party
Anti-Monopoly Party
The Anti-Monopoly Party was a short-lived U.S. political party that was founded as a national political party in 1884 at its convention in Chicago, which took place on May 14, 1884. Prior to this convention, however, there were Anti-Monopoly Parties operating at the state level, notably in...
. Though Nelson did not get unanimous support from his Norwegian-American constituency, he still carried 59 percent of the vote and four out of five counties in his constituency.
Nelson's first challenge in the state senate was a contentious issue, whether to re-elect Alexander Ramsey
Alexander Ramsey
Alexander Ramsey was an American politician. He was born near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.Alexander Ramsey was elected from Pennsylvania as a Whig to the U.S. House of Representatives and served in the 28th and 29th congresses from March 4, 1843 to March 4, 1847...
to the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
for a third term, against the wishes of governor Cushman Davis
Cushman Davis
Cushman Kellogg Davis was an American politician who served as the seventh Governor of Minnesota from January 7, 1874 to January 7, 1876 and as a U.S. Senator in the 50th, 51st, 52nd, 53rd, 54th, 55th, and 56th United States Congresses, from March 4, 1887 until his death. Senator Davis served in...
. This proved to be a balancing act for Nelson, who was caught between his allegiance to the Douglas county Republicans, who were staunch Davis supporters; and his land office constituency, who favored the incumbent. Nelson voted for Ramsey, dark-horse candidate William D. Washburn
William D. Washburn
William Drew Washburn was an American politician. He served in both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate as a Republican from Minnesota. Three of his seven brothers became politicians: Elihu B. Washburne, Cadwallader C. Washburn, and Israel Washburn, Jr...
, and finally for the victor, Samuel J. R. McMillan
Samuel J. R. McMillan
Samuel James Renwick McMillan was an American politician. He was a Republican U.S. Senator from Minnesota. McMillan served in the U.S. Senate in the 44th, 45th, 46th, 47th, 48th, and 49th United States Congresses from March 4, 1875, to March 4, 1887...
.
Nelson then turned his attention from what he called the "Senatorial game of chance" to the issue of extending the railroad infrastructure into the Upper Country. His constituents elected him in large part to resolve the gridlock that prevented the completion of the railroad extension from St. Cloud
St. Cloud, Minnesota
St. Cloud is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the largest population center in the state's central region. The population was 65,842 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Stearns County...
west to Alexandria and beyond. The railroad company, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (SP&P), had run out of funds to complete the so-called St. Vincent extension, and the bondholders were unwilling to invest further. The Minnesota legislature agreed on the need for the railroad but were not in a position to pay for its completion.
In 1875, Nelson introduced a bill – the Upper Country bill – that gave SP&P added incentives in the form of land to complete the line, but also imposed a deadline after which the rights to build the railroad were forfeited, presumably in favor of Northern Pacific, whose plans would bypass Alexandria. The bill met with controversy from both sides of the issue and was ultimately amended to the point that Nelson first sought to table it, and then abstained from voting on it himself. Still, the bill was enacted and was considered a success in its time, with most of the credit going to Nelson.
It took several years for the various financial and political matters to be sorted out, and Nelson played an active role throughout, both as an elected official, attorney, and businessman. He secured rights-of-way for virtually the entire line Alexandria to Fergus Falls, negotiating with many stakeholders for every tract of land. This proved to be an all-consuming effort for several years, though he did run unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor of Minnesota in 1879.
In May 1877, he was overcome with personal tragedy: three of his five children died during a diphtheria
Diphtheria
Diphtheria is an upper respiratory tract illness caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, a facultative anaerobic, Gram-positive bacterium. It is characterized by sore throat, low fever, and an adherent membrane on the tonsils, pharynx, and/or nasal cavity...
epidemic, leaving him with his oldest, Ida, and Henry.
In November 1878, the train finally reached Alexandria, thanks in large part to Nelson's close working relationship with James J. Hill
James J. Hill
James Jerome Hill , was a Canadian-American railroad executive. He was the chief executive officer of a family of lines headed by the Great Northern Railway, which served a substantial area of the Upper Midwest, the northern Great Plains, and Pacific Northwest...
. Several towns in Minnesota were founded as a result of these efforts, including Nelson
Nelson, Minnesota
Nelson is a city in Douglas County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 187 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
and Ashby
Ashby, Minnesota
Ashby is a city in Grant County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 446 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
.
Aspirations of national politics
Nelson was invited to deliver the "oration of the day" at the United States Centennial on July 4, 1876, in Alexandria, exactly 27 years after he had immigrated to the United States. The "unimpassioned" speech sought to reinforce an American identity and made no mention of his immigrant roots. It also coincided with his campaign to become U.S. representative from Minnesota's third districtMinnesota's 3rd congressional district
Minnesota's 3rd congressional district is one of the most affluent in the state, encompassing the suburbs of Hennepin County to the north, west, and south of Minneapolis...
in Congress.
By then, Nelson had developed the strategy of orchestrating a "bottoms-up" campaign in which he would quietly enlist supporters to publicly encourage him to run, only to appear reluctant about the candidacy. His constituency in the frontier in the Upper Country put him at a disadvantage with respect to the rivaling Twin Cities. After having flexed his political muscle by "bolting" from the campaign for a few weeks, he put his support behind the Republican nomination of Jacob Stewart
Jacob H. Stewart
Jacob Henry Stewart was a Representative for the U.S. state of Minnesota.Stewart was born in Clermont, Columbia County, New York on January 15, 1829. He moved with his parents to Peekskill, New York, where he attended the common schools and was graduated from Phillips Academy...
, a medical doctor from St. Paul, who won the election against the Democrat William McNair. This endorsement did not get backed by the Norwegian-American community, however, who both were concerned about the perceived Know-Nothingness
Know Nothing
The Know Nothing was a movement by the nativist American political faction of the 1840s and 1850s. It was empowered by popular fears that the country was being overwhelmed by German and Irish Catholic immigrants, who were often regarded as hostile to Anglo-Saxon Protestant values and controlled by...
of Stewart, and the notion that a ruling class was emerging.
The battle for the "Bloody Fifth"
As a result of the 1880 census, the United States Congress decided to allocate one new congressional seat to the Upper Country, creating the Fifth Minnesota DistrictMinnesota's 5th congressional district
Minnesota's 5th congressional district is a geographically small urban and suburban congressional district in Minnesota. It covers eastern Hennepin County, including the entire city of Minneapolis, along with parts of Anoka and Ramsey counties. It was created in 1883 and was named the "Bloody...
. This appeared to be the perfect launching pad for Nelson's career in national politics. As before, he entered the race quietly, first securing for himself a seat on the Board of Regents at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
, where he also managed to establish a department of Scandinavian studies.
The campaign opened in 1882 and quickly devolved into one of the most contentious elections in history at that point. The contest between Nelson and Charles F. Kindred for the "Bloody Fifth," as it became known, involved graft, intimidation, and election fraud at every turn. The Republican convention on July 12 in Detroit Lakes
Detroit Lakes, Minnesota
-Demographics:As of the official census of 2000, there were 7,348 people, 3,319 households, and 1,845 families permanently residing in the city. The population density was 980.4 people per square mile . There were 3,782 housing units at an average density of 504.6 per square mile...
was compared to the Battle of the Boyne
Battle of the Boyne
The Battle of the Boyne was fought in 1690 between two rival claimants of the English, Scottish and Irish thronesthe Catholic King James and the Protestant King William across the River Boyne near Drogheda on the east coast of Ireland...
. 150 delegates fought over 80 seats, and after a scuffle in the main conference center, the Kindred and Nelson campaigns nominated each of their candidates.
The rivalry between Kindred and Nelson centered to a large extent on the two competing railroads in the Upper Country, the Northern Pacific in Kindred's corner and the Great Northern in Nelson's. Kindred ended up spending between $150,000 and $200,000, but Nelson won handily, overcoming massive election fraud in Northern Pacific counties.
U.S. House of Representatives, 1883–1889
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from March 4, 1883 to March 4, 1889 in the 48th
48th United States Congress
The Forty-eighth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1883 to March 4, 1885, during the last two years...
, 49th
49th United States Congress
The Forty-ninth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1885 to March 4, 1887, during the first two years...
, and 50th congresses
50th United States Congress
The Fiftieth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1887 to March 4, 1889, during the third and fourth...
. In keeping with practices of the Gilded Age
Gilded Age
In United States history, the Gilded Age refers to the era of rapid economic and population growth in the United States during the post–Civil War and post-Reconstruction eras of the late 19th century. The term "Gilded Age" was coined by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner in their book The Gilded...
, Nelson's first agenda item in Congress was to ensure patronage for his supporters in Minnesota by doling out the limited number of federal appointments available. Most were made through Paul C. Sletten, the Receiver of the U.S. Land Office in Crookston
Crookston, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,192 people, 3,078 households, and 1,819 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,658.8 people per square mile . There were 3,382 housing units at an average density of 684.8 per square mile...
. In addition to rewarding political support, he also was obliged to flex political muscle by replacing pro-Kindred appointees in the forested counties around the Northern Pacific Railroad, the so-called "Pineries." Particularly publicized was the firing of Søren Listoe as the Register of the U.S. Land Office in Fergus Falls.
Nelson was frustrated by what he perceived as the lack of effectiveness in the House. He got involved in long debates about pension issues for Civil War veterans, but his most notable legacy as a representative was in passing the 1889 Nelson Act, which effectively created the White Earth Indian Reservation
White Earth Indian Reservation
The White Earth Indian Reservation is the home to the White Earth Nation, located in northwestern Minnesota. It is the largest Indian reservation in that state...
, which freed up significant land for immigrants, at the expense of Native Americans.
Considering his time in the House a "personal failure," he decided not to seek reelection in 1888. Some suspect that his narrow escape from a drowning accident on October 11, 1886 also played a role in increasing his ambition.
Governor of Minnesota, 1893–1895
Though Nelson would later claim that his departure from the House of Representatives marked his permanent retirement from politics, he remained an active insider in Minnesota Republican politics, and in 1890 he started showing interest in a gubernatorial candidacy. Meanwhile, he resumed an active law practice from Alexandria, continued running his farm, and opened a hardware store.Increasing pressure on the Minnesotan agricultural economy gave rise to the Farmers' Alliance
Farmers' Alliance
The Farmers Alliance was an organized agrarian economic movement amongst U.S. farmers that flourished in the 1880s. One of the goals of the organization was to end the adverse effects of the crop-lien system on farmers after the American Civil War...
, which became a formidable political force within both parties, but especially the Republican party. In 1890, the alliance voted to run its own candidates, and there was talk of making Nelson one such candidate. In the Minnesota alliance convention in July 1890, Nelson did not acknowledge interest from the delegates, which ended up nominating Sidney M. Owen as their candidate. But after the Alliance made a strong showing in the 1890 legislative election, Nelson's star rose further in the state Republican party, as his standing in the Upper Country was a strong alternative to the Alliance.
Nelson saw this as an opportunity to build his candidacy for governor, though there are indications that his ultimate goal all along was the U.S. Senate. As was his practice, he arranged to have himself drafted as a candidate by others, rather than actively pursuing office. To a great extent, this was assured through the support of appointed officeholder who feared losing patronage to Alliance political victories. Appealing to the Republican need for unity at the convention, he maneuvred to gain the support of rivals such as Davis and Washburn, or at least avoid their opposition. He was unanimously nominated by 709 delegates as the Republican candidate for governor on July 28, 1892 in the St. Paul People's Church. His acceptance speech was a libertarian broadside against both Democrats and Populists and emboldened the delegates for the election campaign.
The ensuing campaign against the Democratic nominee Daniel Lawler and Populist Ignatius Donnelly
Ignatius Donnelly
Ignatius Loyola Donnelly was a U.S. Congressman, populist writer and amateur scientist, known primarily now for his theories concerning Atlantis, Catastrophism , and Shakespearean authorship, all of which modern historians consider to be pseudoscience and pseudohistory...
centered on allegations of undue influence by railroad interests, tariffs, and ethnicity and patriotism. When Nelson took the campaign to northwestern Minnesota, he had a minor physical altercation with Tobias Sawby, a local populist. After a grueling campaign, he carried 51 of 80 counties with 42.6% (109,220) of the votes against Lawler's 37% and Donnelly's 15.6%. He gave a short victory speech in Alexandria, saying "I go in without having made any promises to any combine, corporation, or person, and shall endeavor to do right, because it is right, and I endeavor to give an administration for the people, for the people, and by the people."
As governor, Nelson had significant limitations on his ability to pursue his outlined policy. The balance of power in Minnesota was shared among five independently elected officials, the state legislature, and the governor. In his inaugural speech on January 4, 1893, he presented himself as a fiscal conservative with an affinity for education and he dwelled on statistics related to various state services and for solutions.
Nelson used his governorship as a bully pulpit for modest Republican reforms that were meant to provide more reasonable alternatives to the more radical Populist actions. He promoted the "Governor's Grain Bill" as a way to regulate trade in grain, specifically by giving the Railroad and Warehouse Commission the authority to license, inspect, and regulate country grain elevators. The Republican members of the legislature supported it as well, going so far as making it a party measure. Opposition to the bill from Democrats and Populists were based on suspicion against the railroad commission. The bill went through two rounds of voting with considerable horse trading but in the end won narrowly, giving Nelson credibility as a political force.
Nelson also ended up cooperating with his former adversary, Ignatius Donnelly on the "timber ring" investigation that sought to put an end to land claim fraud in lumber areas. Nelson convened an interstate Anti-Trust Conference in Chicago on June 5, 1893, where he spoke against the lumber trust and in favor of strengthening the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890.
The Panic of 1893
Panic of 1893
The Panic of 1893 was a serious economic depression in the United States that began in 1893. Similar to the Panic of 1873, this panic was marked by the collapse of railroad overbuilding and shaky railroad financing which set off a series of bank failures...
created a crisis for the railroad companies, and after a series of wage cuts in the Great Northern, the American Railway Union
American Railway Union
The American Railway Union , was the largest labor union of its time, and one of the first industrial unions in the United States. It was founded on June 20, 1893, by railway workers gathered in Chicago, Illinois, and under the leadership of Eugene V...
went on strike on April 13. Nelson sought to hedge his position by suggesting that the parties engage in arbitration while demanding law and order from the strikers. He then removed himself from the conflict, leaving enforcement to Federal marshals and left the arbitration to private business leaders. The strike was resolved largely in favor of the workers, and Nelson was left untarnished.
He was renominated handily for the 1894 campaign, running again against Populist Sidney Owen and Democrat George Becker
George Becker
George Becker was a steelworker, American labor leader and president of the United Steelworkers from 1993 to 2001. During his tenure as president of the Steelworkers, Becker also served as a vice president of the AFL-CIO.-Early life:Becker was born in 1928 in Madison, Illinois, to George and...
. He ran this campaign on dry facts, projecting the image of a systematic and scientific reformer compared to such populist speakers as Mary Ellen Lease and Jerry Simpson
Jerry Simpson
Jeremiah Simpson , nicknamed "Sockless Jerry" Simpson, was an American politician from the U.S. state of Kansas. An old-style populist, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives three times....
. He demonstrated hands-on leadership in the particularly dry summer of 1894, when the Great Hinckley Fire
Great Hinckley Fire
The Great Hinckley Fire was a major conflagration on September 1, 1894, which burned an area of at least 810 km² , perhaps more than 1000 km², including the town of Hinckley, Minnesota. The fire killed hundreds, with the minimum number estimated at 418. However, some scholars believe the...
spread across east-central Minnesota on September 1. Although the state did not have the financial means to provide direct support, Nelson used his office to encourage private relief efforts. He won the election with 60,000 votes more than Owen.
Nelson vs. Washburn
William D. Washburn
William Drew Washburn was an American politician. He served in both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate as a Republican from Minnesota. Three of his seven brothers became politicians: Elihu B. Washburne, Cadwallader C. Washburn, and Israel Washburn, Jr...
.
Before the 17th Amendment
Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution established direct election of United States Senators by popular vote. The amendment supersedes Article I, § 3, Clauses 1 and 2 of the Constitution, under which senators were elected by state legislatures...
went into effect in 1914, U.S. senators were elected by their state legislatures, so Nelson's campaign for Minnesota's second Senate seat was a "still hunt," consisting of building support among incoming legislators while letting Washburn think that he was running unopposed for the Republican nomination.
Sensing Nelson's rising star in the Republican establishment, Washburn tried on the one hand to obtain unequivocal assurance from Nelson that he was not in the race for the Senate; while solidifying his standing as the Minneapolis candidate. On September 21, 1894, the two candidates met at the Freeborn county fair in Albert Lea
Albert Lea, Minnesota
Albert Lea is a city in and the county seat of Freeborn County in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 18,016 at the 2010 census....
, where Nelson was asked directly whether he supported Washburn's candidacy or had his own designs for the Senate seat. Accounts vary about his exact wording, but the prevailing view was that, in an impressive demonstration of parisology encouraged the state legislature "...to elect your Republican legislative ticket, so as to send my friend Washburn back the United States senate, or if you do not like him, send some other good Republican."
It became apparent that Nelson's strategy was to first prevent Washburn from gaining a straightforward majority in either the nomination or the election in the Republican caucus, and then appear as a unifying choice for the Republicans. To do this, he had to strike a fine balance between appealing to Scandinavian ethnic pride on the one hand and showing himself a true American on the other; between the appearance of treachery against Washburn and maintaining an honest impression.
The campaign came to a head in the so-called "Three Week War," or "Hotel Campaign" that was in full force by January 5, 1895. The confrontations, lobbying, cajoling, and alleged bribery centered around the Windsor and Merchants hotels in St. Paul. Legislators were unnerved by the campaign, and the outcome remained uncertain, and return visits to their constituencies in mid-January did little to clarify public opinion. Public meetings with "wirepullers" had similarly little effect.
Nelson's strength became apparent but was not yet decisive on January 18 when the Republicans caucused. Washburn fell well short of reaching the necessary 72 votes to nominate, and a number of erstwhile supporters fell to Nelson the second ballot. By the time the election went to the full legislature, it was apparent that Washburn had lost. On January 23 Nelson was elected to the United States Senate, the first Scandinavian-born American to reach this post. Washburn was exhausted from the campaign but called for direct, popular elections of senators. It is remembered as one of the bitterest elections in Minnesota political history.
The legacy of the campaign was manifold: Washburn cut a wealthy, urban, aristocratic native Yankee from Maine to Nelson's hard-working immigrant from the Upper Country. Nelson's victory reinforced the growing influence of Minnesota outside the Twin Cities, and it gave considerable rise to Scandinavian political awareness. Nelson decided early to make this image his platform, asking his constituency to call him Uncle Knute.
First Senate term
The 54th United States Congress54th United States Congress
- House of Representatives :-Leadership:- Senate :* President: Adlai E. Stevenson * President pro tempore: William P. Frye - Majority leadership :* Republican Conference Chairman: John Sherman- Minority leadership :...
did not convene until December 1895, and though Nelson was impatient about getting to work, he spent the recess traveling and working on his farm. He also translated the Constitution of Norway
Constitution of Norway
The Constitution of Norway was first adopted on May 16, 1814 by the Norwegian Constituent Assembly at Eidsvoll , then signed and dated May 17...
to English and studied the Free Silver
Free Silver
Free Silver was an important United States political policy issue in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Its advocates were in favor of an inflationary monetary policy using the "free coinage of silver" as opposed to the less inflationary Gold Standard; its supporters were called...
issue. This was the subject of his first Senate speech, on December 31, 1895, when he advocated a paper currency
Banknote
A banknote is a kind of negotiable instrument, a promissory note made by a bank payable to the bearer on demand, used as money, and in many jurisdictions is legal tender. In addition to coins, banknotes make up the cash or bearer forms of all modern fiat money...
.
Nelson maintained – as he would throughout his career – a strong anti-Populist, though pragmatic profile. His most important first term accomplishment is probably the Nelson Bankruptcy Law intended to give farmers the means to enter into voluntary, as opposed to forced bankruptcy by creditors. He positioned this as an alternative to the Judiciary Committee
United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary is a standing committee of the United States Senate, of the United States Congress. The Judiciary Committee, with 18 members, is charged with conducting hearings prior to the Senate votes on confirmation of federal judges nominated by the...
that was much harsher to debtors. Although he championed the bill for its own merits, it also gave him an opportunity to disassociate himself from his background as an attorney, and also build favor with his agricultural constituency. After 18 months of painstaking negotiations, Nelson managed to get the bill passed by Congress on June 24, 1898. Filing bankruptcy would be known for some time afterwards as "taking the Nelson cure."
If Nelson had shown his independent instincts in the bankruptcy law, he toed the party line in his position on the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
, where he enthusiastically supported the war effort. He got embroiled in a bitter debate on the Senate floor on the issue of annexing the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and Hawaii. He and one of the authors of the treaty, senior Minnesota senator, Cushman Davis, voted with the majority in ratifying the Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris (1898)
The Treaty of Paris of 1898 was signed on December 10, 1898, at the end of the Spanish-American War, and came into effect on April 11, 1899, when the ratifications were exchanged....
, and is often quoted for saying that:
- "Providence has given the United States the duty of extending Christian civilization. We come as ministering angels, not despots."
Return to Norway
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, emphasizing his Scandinavian-American background.
He traveled alone and made his home town of Evanger
Evanger
Evanger is a village and a former municipality in Vaksdal municipality, Hordaland county, Norway.-History:The village of Evanger is located in the western part of Voss, in the eastern end of the lake Evangervatnet. It was designated to be a municipality by a split from Voss on January 1, 1885. At...
one of the first stops. He arrived at the village in a horse-drawn buggy with only his luggage and was received as an honored guest. He spoke in his native dialect
Norwegian dialects
The Norwegian dialects are commonly divided into 4 main groups, North Norwegian , Trøndelag Norwegian , West Norwegian , and East Norwegian...
of Vossemål, slipping only into riksmål only when he felt it necessary to make an important political point. His hosts quickly started addressing him in the familiar "du Knut," which he appeared to enjoy.
From his birth town of Evanger, Nelson traveled on to Kristiania, where he refused official honors, and to Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, where he made even less fuss. He spent a week in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, visiting with his own patronage appointments Laurits Swenson, U.S. ambassador to Denmark and Søren Listoe, consul to Rotterdam. He had an audience with king Christian IX
Christian IX of Denmark
Christian IX was King of Denmark from 16 November 1863 to 29 January 1906.Growing up as a prince of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, a junior branch of the House of Oldenburg which had ruled Denmark since 1448, Christian was originally not in the immediate line of succession to the Danish...
and a formal dinner hosted by Swenson. He traveled through the contentious area of Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
and the site of the Battle of Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
.
He traveled home via England and happened to be in the visitor's gallery in the British parliament on October 17 when Queen Victoria had convened an extraordinary session to debate the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
.
The 1900–1902 reelection campaign
Owing, once again, to his being elected by the state legislature, Nelson's campaign for reelection in 1902 actually started with the election for the Minnesota state legislature in 1900. His strategy was to align himself with celebrated national leaders, especially Theodore RooseveltTheodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
and Robert M. LaFollette as they swung through the state campaigning for William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
. Nelson was known more for thoroughness than charisma in his campaigns, but contributed significantly to the Republican success that year. As it turned out, Nelson's son Henry Knute Nelson was elected to the Minnesota state legislature that year. Nelson's reelection to a second U.S. Senate term was assured for all practical purposes. The campaign continued into 1902, when Nelson made a name for himself by commandeering a handcar
Handcar
A handcar is a railroad car powered by its passengers, or by people pushing the car from behind. It is mostly used as a maintenance of way or mining car, but it was also used for passenger service in some cases...
when his train broke down east of Hibbing, Minnesota
Hibbing, Minnesota
Hibbing is a city in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 16,361 at the 2010 census. The city was built on the rich iron ore of the Mesabi Iron Range. At the edge of town is the largest open-pit iron mine in the world. U.S...
, making his own way to Wolf Junction, Minnesota at a brisk pace.
Up until that point, Nelson's political career was largely based on the issues of an unfolding economic frontier, with land development, immigration, and Gilded Age dynamics. With the birth of the Progressive Era, the winds of reform started blowing more from the east than the west, and urban issues came more to the forefront. As a result, Nelson had to reinvent his political strategy.
In the cross-winds of the political movements of the time, he chose a largely "moderate progressive" profile, accepting government intervention on some issues (e.g., anti-trust matters) but opposed anything that smacked of socialism. He eased up on patronage as a political tool and focused instead on helping his constituents in matters small and large, often invoking the image of himself as a "drayhorse" – a hard-working, persistent advocate for the things and people he believed in.
Territories and statehood
While in the Senate, Nelson was involved in the creation of the Department of Commerce and LaborUnited States Department of Commerce and Labor
The United States Department of Commerce and Labor was a short-lived Cabinet department of the United States government, which was concerned with Business.It was created on February 14, 1903...
, the passage of the Nelson Bankruptcy Act in 1898, and serving on the Overman Committee
Overman Committee
The Overman Committee was a special subcommittee of the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary chaired by North Carolina Democrat Lee Slater Overman. Between September 1918 and June 1919, it investigated German and Bolshevik elements in the United States...
from 1918 to 1919. He served in the senate in the 54th
54th United States Congress
- House of Representatives :-Leadership:- Senate :* President: Adlai E. Stevenson * President pro tempore: William P. Frye - Majority leadership :* Republican Conference Chairman: John Sherman- Minority leadership :...
, 55th
55th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:* Republican: 206 * Democratic: 124* Populist: 22* Silver Republican: 3* Silver: 1* Independent Republican: 1TOTAL members: 357-Leadership:-Senate:* President: Garret Hobart * President pro tempore: William P...
, 56th
56th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:- Leadership :- Senate :* President: Garret Hobart , until November 21, 1899 , vacant thereafter.* President pro tempore: William P. Frye * Democratic Caucus Chairman: James K. Jones...
, 57th
57th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:*Democratic: 151*Republican: 200 *Populist: 5*Silver : 1TOTAL members: 357-Leadership:-Senate:* President: Theodore Roosevelt , until September 14, 1901, vacant thereafter....
, 58th
58th United States Congress
- House of Representatives :* Republican : 209 * Democratic : 176* Silver Republican : 1TOTAL members: 386-Senate:* President: Vacant* President pro tempore: William P. Frye -Members:...
, 59th
59th United States Congress
The Fifty-ninth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1905 to March 4, 1907, during the fifth and sixth...
, 60th
60th United States Congress
The Sixtieth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1907 to March 4, 1909, during the last two years of...
, 61st
61st United States Congress
The Sixty-first United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1909 to March 4, 1911, during the first two years of...
, 62nd
62nd United States Congress
- House of Representatives :* Democratic : 230 * Republican : 162* Socialist : 1* Independent : 1TOTAL members: 394-Senate:* President: James S...
, 63rd
63rd United States Congress
- House of Representatives:*Democratic : 291 *Republican : 134*Progressive : 9*Independent : 1TOTAL members: 435-Senate:*President of the Senate: Thomas R. Marshall*President pro tempore: James P. Clarke-Senate:...
, 64th
64th United States Congress
The Sixty-fourth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1915 to March 4, 1917, during the third and fourth...
, 65th
65th United States Congress
The Sixty-fifth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1917 to March 4, 1919, during the fourth and fifth...
, 66th
66th United States Congress
The Sixty-sixth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, comprising the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1919 to March 4, 1921, during the last two years of...
, and 67th congresses
67th United States Congress
The Sixty-seventh United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1921 to March 4, 1923, during the first two years...
. He served in the Senate until his death in 1923 enroute by train from Washington, D.C. to his hometown of Alexandria, Minnesota
Alexandria, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,820 people, however the most recent count suggests a population upwards of 10,000, which is displayed on Alexandria's city limits signs. The census lists 4,047 households, and 2,011 families residing in the city. The population density was 992.5 people per...
, where he was buried.
While debating the Treaty of Paris (1898)
Treaty of Paris (1898)
The Treaty of Paris of 1898 was signed on December 10, 1898, at the end of the Spanish-American War, and came into effect on April 11, 1899, when the ratifications were exchanged....
on the senate floor, Nelson said: "Providence has given the United States the duty of extending Christian civilization. We come as ministering angels, not despots."