Isaac Halstead Williamson

Isaac Halstead Williamson (born September 27, 1767 in Elizabeth , Province of New Jersey , †  July 10, 1844 ibid) was an American politician and governor of the state of New Jersey from 1817 to 1829 .

Isaac Halstead Williamson

Early years and political advancement

Isaac Williamson attended public schools in his home country. After completing a law degree, he was admitted to the bar in 1791. He then began a successful legal career. He became, among other things, Deputy District Attorney in Morris County . Politically, he was originally a member of the Federalist Party , with which he fell out around 1812 on the question of the British-American War . Then he switched to the Democratic Republican Party . Between 1815 and 1817 he was a member of the New Jersey General Assembly . After the resignation of Governor Mahlon Dickerson , he was elected his successor by the legislature of his state.

Governor of New Jersey

Williamson's first task was to end his predecessor's current term. He was subsequently confirmed in this office every year until 1828. This allowed him to serve as governor between February 6, 1817 and October 30, 1829. Due to the state constitution, the position of the governor in relation to the legislature was not very strong. During his reign, the clerical courts were reformed and the construction of the Raritan and Delaware Canal promoted.

At that time, the party landscape in the United States changed. Williamson's Democratic Republican Party disbanded and he joined the new Democratic Party founded by President Andrew Jackson .

After his governorship ended, Williamson was mayor of his hometown Elizabeth between 1830 and 1833. He was also a member of the New Jersey Senate from 1831 to 1833 . In 1844 he was president of an assembly that revised the New Jersey constitution. He passed away in July of the same year. He had two children with his wife, Anne Crossdale Jouet.

Web links

• Isaac Williamson at the National Governors Association (English)