Robert Mercer Taliaferro Hunter (April 21, 1809 – July 18, 1887) was an American lawyer and politician from Virginia. He was a U.S. Representative (1837-1843, 1845-1847), Speaker of the House (1839-1841), and U.S. Senator (1847-1861). During the American Civil War he was Confederate States Secretary of State (1861-1862) and then a Confederate Senator (1862-1865). After the war, he served as Treasurer of Virginia (1874-80), and customs collector in 1885 until his death.