Life span: 11/20/1809 to 04/09/1896TabsLife SummaryFull name: Gustave Philipp KoernerPlace of Birth: Frankfort, GermanyBurial Place: Belleville, ILBirth Date Certainty: ExactDeath Date Certainty: ExactGender: MaleRace: WhiteSectional choice: NorthNo. of Spouses: 1No. of Children: 8Family: Bernhard Koerner (father), Maria Magdalene Kaempfe (mother), Sophie Engelmann (wife, 1836)Education: TransylvaniaOtherOther Education: University of JenaOccupation: PoliticianDiplomatRelation to Slavery: White non-slaveholderPolitical Parties: DemocraticRepublicanLiberal RepublicanGovernment: Lincoln Administration (1861-65)DiplomatState legislatureOther state government Note Cards Gustave Philipp Koerner (American National Biography) ScholarshipIn 1852 Koerner was elected lieutenant governor of Illinois on the Democratic ticket, serving from January 1853 to January 1857. When Illinois's powerful Democratic senator Stephen A. Douglas introduced the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854, which repealed the previous prohibition on slavery in some of the western territories, Koerner was strongly opposed to the measure but hesitated to voice public opposition while still a member of the Democratic state administration. For two years he hoped in vain to turn away the Democratic party from support of Douglas's measure. Only after the national Republican party convention of 1856 did he actively change political allegiance to support the new opposition party and advocate alignment of Germans with it. He chaired the Republican State Convention of 1858, which nominated Abraham Lincoln to oppose Douglas for the U.S. Senate. At the 1860 Republican National Convention, Koerner actively supported Lincoln for the presidential nomination and served on the Platform Committee, which drafted a plank disavowing legislation against the foreign-born. When the Civil War broke out, Koerner served as an aide with the rank of colonel to General John C. Frémont in Missouri. In June 1862 President Lincoln appointed him to be minister to Spain, replacing his fellow German-American Carl Schurz in that position. His ministry was greatly concerned with the threat of Spanish influence in Santo Domingo and with discouraging trade between Spanish-held Cuba and the Confederacy. Taking a leave of absence to campaign for Lincoln in the 1864 election, he never returned to Spain and submitted his resignation in December 1864.James M. Bergquist, "Koerner, Gustave Philipp," American National Biography Online, February 2000, http://www.anb.org/articles/04/04-00610.html. Events Date span begin Life span End Event 11/20/1809 11/20/1809 Gustave Philipp Koerner is born in Frankfort, Germany 06/17/1836 06/17/1836 Gustave Philipp Koerner marries Sophie Engelmann 05/03/1865 05/03/1865 Abraham Lincoln returns to Springfield, Illinois where his remains lay in state in the State House 03/01/1888 03/01/1888 Gustave Philipp Koerner's wife dies 04/09/1896 04/09/1896 Gustave Philipp Koerner dies in Belleville, Illinois Major TopicsLincoln-Douglas DebatesRepublican Party Documents Author Docs Date Title 08/12/1858 Gustave Philipp Koerner to Abraham Lincoln, August 12, 1858 07/17/1858 Gustave Philipp Koerner to Abraham Lincoln, July 17, 1858 10/15/1858 Recollection by Gustave Koerner, Alton Debate, October 15, 1858 07/10/1858 to 11/02/1858 Recollection by Gustave Koerner, Lincoln-Douglas Debates 01/05/1859 Recollection by Gustave Koerner, Senator Douglas Reelected, January 5, 1859 Subject Docs Date Title 06/21/1858 New York Times, "Illinois Republican State Convention," June 21, 1858 07/19/1858 Lyman Trumbull to Abraham Lincoln, July 19, 1858 Images Gustave Philipp Koerner Gustave Philipp Koerner, detail Bibliography
Gustave Philipp Koerner (American National Biography) ScholarshipIn 1852 Koerner was elected lieutenant governor of Illinois on the Democratic ticket, serving from January 1853 to January 1857. When Illinois's powerful Democratic senator Stephen A. Douglas introduced the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854, which repealed the previous prohibition on slavery in some of the western territories, Koerner was strongly opposed to the measure but hesitated to voice public opposition while still a member of the Democratic state administration. For two years he hoped in vain to turn away the Democratic party from support of Douglas's measure. Only after the national Republican party convention of 1856 did he actively change political allegiance to support the new opposition party and advocate alignment of Germans with it. He chaired the Republican State Convention of 1858, which nominated Abraham Lincoln to oppose Douglas for the U.S. Senate. At the 1860 Republican National Convention, Koerner actively supported Lincoln for the presidential nomination and served on the Platform Committee, which drafted a plank disavowing legislation against the foreign-born. When the Civil War broke out, Koerner served as an aide with the rank of colonel to General John C. Frémont in Missouri. In June 1862 President Lincoln appointed him to be minister to Spain, replacing his fellow German-American Carl Schurz in that position. His ministry was greatly concerned with the threat of Spanish influence in Santo Domingo and with discouraging trade between Spanish-held Cuba and the Confederacy. Taking a leave of absence to campaign for Lincoln in the 1864 election, he never returned to Spain and submitted his resignation in December 1864.James M. Bergquist, "Koerner, Gustave Philipp," American National Biography Online, February 2000, http://www.anb.org/articles/04/04-00610.html.