The American politician Simon Cameron (1799-1889) is best known for the efficient political machine he developed in Pennsylvania and for the way he used it to gain public office and financial rewards for himself and his friends.

Simon Cameron was born in Lancaster, Pa., on March 8, 1799. His family was poor and he had little formal education, so he apprenticed himself to a printing establishment in Harrisburg. Hardworking and ambitious, by the age of 21 he was editor of a local newspaper. Two years later he found employment with Gales and Saton, publishers of the congressional debates, in Washington, D.C. While there, Cameron spent his spare time in the houses of Congress, making friends and learning the ways of politics. In 1824 he was back in Harrisburg, where he became owner and editor of a local newspaper and launched a lifelong career of mixing business with politics.

Editor and Entrepreneur...