David Johnson (politician)

David Johnson , (born October 3, 1782 in Louisa County , Virginia , †  January 7, 1855 in Limestone Springs , South Carolina ) was an American politician ( Democratic Party ) and from 1846 to 1848 governor of the state of South Carolina.

Early years

David Johnson received his first education in York County , Virginia. He then studied law in South Carolina with Abraham Nott and was admitted to the bar in 1803. During the following years and decades he worked mainly as a lawyer. Among other things, he was a district attorney in 1812, a judge at a district court in 1815 and a judge at an appeals court in 1824. Johnson was a supporter of the Union and a staunch opponent of the radical forces in South Carolina who wanted to override federal laws for their state during the nullification crisis in 1832 and even considered leaving the Union. Johnson called such plans illegal.

Governor of south carolina

In 1846, Johnson was elected governor of Washington, DC, despite his positive attitude towards the Union and the federal government. Until then, he had held a political mandate only once, in 1812, as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives . Johnson took up his new office on December 1, 1846 and served a full term up to December 1848. Parallel to his term in office, the American-Mexican War took place, in which troops from South Carolina also took part. The governor set up the so-called Palametto Regiment, which played an important role during the war.

The victorious war for the United States brought the nation large territorial gains in the west. This raised the issue of slavery again at the national level . The question was whether this should be allowed or prohibited in the new areas. As in the past, South Carolina became a spokesman for the slavery movement. When Washington began to consider banning slavery in the new territories, the radical forces in South Carolina called for their state to withdraw from the Union. They feared a general ban on slavery and thus a threat to their economic system, which was based on this institution. This situation was very unfavorable for the governor. As a supporter of the Union, he had a very difficult position against the radical positions of his compatriots. After him, no more Union-friendly governors were elected until the end of the civil war. The compromise of 1850 calmed the situation in South Carolina, and in the southern states more generally, only for a short time. The road to civil war was becoming increasingly clear.

At the end of his tenure, David Johnson withdrew from politics. He died in January 1855.

Web links

• David Johnson in the National Governors Association (English)
• South Carolina Information Highway (English)
• David Johnson in the database of Find a Grave (English)