John M. Palmer

John Palmer
United States Senator from Illinois
In office March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1897
Preceded by	Charles B. Farwell
Succeeded by	William E. Mason
15th Governor of Illinois
In office January 11, 1869 – January 13, 1873
Lieutenant	John Dougherty
Preceded by	Richard J. Oglesby
Succeeded by	Richard J. Oglesby
Member of the Illinois Senate
In office 1852–1855
Personal details
Born	John McAuley Palmer (1817-09-13)September 13, 1817 Eagle Creek, Kentucky, U.S.
Died	September 25, 1900(1900-09-25) (aged 83) Springfield, Illinois, U.S.
Political party	Democratic (before 1848, 1852–1856, 1872–1896) Free Soil (1848–1852) Republican (1856–1870) Liberal Republican (1870–1872) National Democratic (1896–1900)
Education	Shurtleff College
Military service
Allegiance	United States Union
Branch/service	United States Army Union Army
Years of service	1861–1866
Rank	Major General
Commands	XIV Corps
Battles/wars	American Civil War

John McAuley Palmer (September 13, 1817 – September 25, 1900) was an American politician. He was an Illinois resident, an American Civil War general who fought for the Union, the 15th governor of Illinois, and presidential candidate of the National Democratic Party in the 1896 election on a platform to defend the gold standard, free trade, and limited government.

Palmer switched political parties throughout his life, starting out a Democrat. He became in turn an anti-Nebraska Democrat (an anti-slavery opponent of the Kansas-Nebraska Act), a Republican, a Liberal Republican, returned to being a Democrat, then ended as a Bourbon Democrat. He said, "I had my own views. I was not a slave of any party," and added, "I thought for myself and [have] spoken my own words on all occasions."