Edmund G. Ross

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Edmund Gibson Ross

Junior Senator, Kansas
In office July 25, 1866 – March 3, 1871
Preceded by	James H. Lane
Succeeded by	Alexander Caldwell
13^th Territorial Governor of New Mexico
In office 1885 – 1889
Nominated by	Grover Cleveland
Preceded by	Lionel Allen Sheldon
Succeeded by	L. Bradford Prince

Born	December 7, 1826(1826-12-07) Ashland, Ohio, U.S.
Died	May 8, 1907 (aged 80) Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.
Political party	Republican, Democrat

Edmund Gibson Ross (December 7, 1826 – May 8, 1907) was a politician who represented the state of Kansas after the American Civil War and was later governor of the New Mexico Territory. His vote against convicting of President Andrew Johnson of "high crimes and misdemeanors" allowed Johnson to stay in office by the margin of one vote. As the seventh of seven Republican U.S. Senators to break with his party, Ross proved to be the person whose decision would result in conviction or acquittal. When he chose the latter, the vote of 35-19 in favor of Johnson's conviction failed to reach the required two-thirds' majority. Ross lost his bid for re-election two years later.

Ross was born in Ashland, Ohio. He worked in the newspaper business, first in Ohio, then in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Topeka, Kansas. After the suicide of James H. Lane in 1866, Ross was appointed and then elected to the United States Senate as a member of the Republican Party. Ross is known for casting the decisive vote which acquitted Andrew Johnson during his 1868 Presidential Impeachment trial. Some people have claimed that Ross voted against the conviction due to concerns about his colleague Samuel C. Pomeroy receiving patronage from Benjamin Wade. They also claim that Ross used his vote as a means to receive favors from Johnson. Others claim Ross cast his vote because he genuinely believed that Johnson had the right to fire Edwin M. Stanton, since he had been hired during the Lincoln Administration. Ross lost his bid for re-election in 1870.

Upon retirement from the Senate, Ross went back into the newspaper business briefly, launching a publication in Coffeyville, Kan.^[1] But on April 23, 1872, a "terrific tornado" swept through Coffeyville, destroying Ross' newspaper office.^[2]

From 1885 to 1889, he served as governor of New Mexico Territory, appointed by President Grover Cleveland.

Edmund G. Ross is one of eight U.S. Senators featured in Profiles in Courage, the 1956 Pulitzer Prize-winning history written by then-Senator John F. Kennedy in commemoration of past acts of political courage in Congress.

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Preceded by James H. Lane	United States Senator (Class 2) from Kansas July 25, 1866 – March 3, 1871 Served alongside: Samuel C. Pomeroy	Succeeded by Alexander Caldwell
Preceded by Lionel Allen Sheldon	Territorial Governor of New Mexico 1885 – 1889	Succeeded by L. Bradford Prince

v • d • e United States Senators from Kansas

Class 2: Lane • Ross • Caldwell • Crozier • Harvey • Plumb • Perkins • Martin • Baker • Burton • Benson • Curtis • Thompson • Capper • Schoeppel • Pearson • Kassebaum • Roberts Class 3: Pomeroy • Ingalls • Peffer • Harris • Long • Bristow • Curtis • Allen • McGill • Reed • Darby • Carlson • Dole • Frahm • Brownback

v • d • e Governors of New Mexico

Territorial	Bent • Calhoun • Lane • Meriwether • Rencher • Connelly • Mitchell • Pile • Giddings • Axtell • Wallace • Sheldon • Ross • Prince • Thornton • Otero • Hagerman • Curry • Mills

State	McDonald • C. De Baca • Lindsey • Larrazolo • M. Mechem • Hinkle • Hannett • Dillon • Seligman • Hockenhull • Tingley • Miles • Dempsey • Mabry • E. Mechem • Simms • E. Mechem • Burroughs • E. Mechem • Bolack • Campbell • Cargo • King • Apodaca • King • Anaya • Carruthers • King • Johnson • Richardson