Alexander Ramsey (September 8, 1815 – April 22, 1903) was an American politician, who became the first Minnesota Territorial Governor and later became a U.S.

Ramsey is credited with being the first Union governor to commit troops during the American Civil War.

When he heard about the firing on Fort Sumter he went straight to the White House and offered Minnesota's services to Abraham Lincoln.

He supported the Radical Republicans,[7] who called for vigorous prosecution of the Civil War, and a military reconstruction of the South.

[9] In response, some of the Dakota attacked American settlements, resulting in the death of at least 800 civilian men, women and children, and the displacement of thousands more.

[10] When the Fond du Lac band of Chippewa learned of the uprising they sent a letter to Ramsey to forward to President Lincoln offering to fight the Sioux dated September 6, 1862.

[13] There 10 chiefs of the Leech Lake and Mississippi bands laid out their concerns and offered to fight the Sioux for the government.

[16] Ramsey had to instruct them that Major General Pope would not accept their service on the grounds that it would not be good public policy.

Late in the fall of 1885 ex-governor Ramsey escorted the son of Chippewa Chief Hole in the Day to Washington D.C. as Minnesota's candidate to West Point.

[21] The Minnesota Historical Society preserves his home, the Alexander Ramsey House as a museum.