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Alexander Randall (Wisconsin politician)

American politician (1819–1872)

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Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionJul 17, 2026
Entity authorityQ881044
Source-derived summary

Alexander Williams Randall (October 31, 1819 – July 26, 1872) was an American lawyer, judge, and Republican politician from Waukesha, Wisconsin. He served as the 22nd U.S. postmaster general, during the administration of President Andrew Johnson (1865–1869). He previously served as the sixth governor of Wisconsin (1858–1862) and, as governor, was instrumental in raising and organizing the first Wisconsin volunteer troops for the Union Army during the American Civil War. He is the namesake of Camp Randall and Camp Randall Stadium.

Life and career

Randall was born in Ames, New York, on October 31, 1819. His father, Phineas, was judge of the court of common pleas there from 1837 to 1841. Randall attended Cherry Valley Academy in New York then studied law with his father. He was admitted to the bar in New York at age 19. Shortly after that, he moved to Wisconsin Territory. He opened a law practice in Waukesha in 1840, where he became postmaster in 1845.

Editorial summary

This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Alexander Randall (Wisconsin politician)” as american politician (1819–1872). Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.

Editorial reviewA useful biographical orientation record, particularly for establishing names, roles and a first chronology. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1819, 1872, 1865, 1869—that can be checked directly. The linked authority record independently contributes the date 1819-10-31. The account is most persuasive where Alexander, Randall and Wisconsin can be independently traced.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

The subject matters to the people & ideas register because the source frames it as american politician (1819–1872). Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.

Evidence profile

The entry’s evidential value lies in the named roles, institutions and publications that can be tested against primary documentation. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 17, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q881044. VIAF identifies the subject as 46048855. The Library of Congress control number is n97063381. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1819, 1872, 1865 and 1869.

Critical limits

A concise life account rarely captures disputed attribution, private networks or the changing language used to describe a career. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Read biographical claims against dates, named institutions and the cited references. Distinguish a subject’s later reputation from evidence produced during their lifetime.

Best used for
  • Establishing names and roles
  • Building a first chronology
  • Locating cited institutions
Verify next

Personal papers, civil or court records, institutional files and the scholarship cited by the source.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Alexander Randall (Wisconsin politician)”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Alexander Randall (Wisconsin politician) primary sources, Alexander Randall (Wisconsin politician) archive and Alexander research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Alexander Randall (Wisconsin politician)”?
  2. Which claims depend on a single source or contested interpretation?
  3. Which primary records establish identity, chronology and institutional ties?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from Alexander Randall (Wisconsin politician)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.