John W. Foster

John W. Foster served as Secretary of State from June 1892 to February 1893 under Benjamin Harrison. An Indiana lawyer and Union Army officer, he had already represented the United States in Mexico, Russia, and Spain. His diplomatic career was unusually extensive for a late nineteenth-century secretary and continued through private legal work and international negotiations after he left government. ¹

In Mexico, Foster favored recognizing Porfirio Díaz’s government while Washington sought assurances over border security. In Russia he defended the position of American Jewish citizens affected by Russian restrictions. His work in Spain included commercial negotiations concerning Cuba and Puerto Rico, although the resulting agreement failed to win Senate approval. As private counsel to the Chinese legation, he addressed the aftermath of the 1885 Rock Springs massacre and disputes over Chinese immigration. ¹

As secretary, Foster supported the proposed annexation of Hawaii after the overthrow of the monarchy in 1893. He also worked on trade agreements, international monetary questions, and an unsuccessful effort to secure a naval base in the Dominican Republic. Harrison’s departure ended his term before many of these initiatives could mature. Foster subsequently participated in arbitration and boundary negotiations. His family also remained influential in American diplomacy: Robert Lansing was his son-in-law, and John Foster Dulles was his grandson. ¹