Isaac Johnson (politician)

Isaac Johnson

Isaac Johnson (born November 1, 1803 in St. Francisville , Louisiana , †  March 15, 1853 in New Orleans , Louisiana) was an American politician ( Democratic Party ), who served as governor of the US state Louisiana from 1846 to 1850 .

Career

Isaac Johnson was born in West Feliciana Parish on his father's Troy Plantation . He was the fourth son of John Hunter Johnson and Thenia Munson. Johnson's grandfather, Isaac Johnson, arrived in the area in the 1770s, with his father having a leading role in the West Florida Rebellion. Later he served as a British officer in Natchez , Mississippi, during the British occupation . Over time, he was also a lawyer, plantation owner, community sheriff, and judge until he finally settled down at the Fairview Plantation on Bayou Sara, Louisiana.

Johnson received tutoring and law studies from an early age until his father and uncle Joseph E. Johnson eventually opened their own legal practice. Johnson married Charlotte McDermott in 1828. He also participated in local politics and won a seat in the House of Representatives from Louisiana , which he held only one term. In 1839, Johnson was appointed third judge judge.

Johnson was nominated for governor of Louisiana by the Democratic Party in 1846. There he went against William De Buys, who ran for the Whigs , to. Johnson won by nearly 2,500 votes and assumed the office of governor at the age of 43. Louisiana passed a new constitution in 1845, which was however inconsistent in some regulations, so that Johnson's term of office was confusing and chaotic. Even his inauguration oath was questioned. In his inauguration address, Johnson announced the move of the state capital from New Orleans to Baton Rouge and stressed the importance of public schools.

During his tenure as governor, Johnson was outspoken in his views: during the Mexican-American War he issued a call for volunteers and had a confrontation with the Army paymaster over the entertainment of those volunteers. He also announced that the United States should incorporate all of Mexico. With the expansion of slavery to the new territories, Johnson became an advocate for state rights. He condemned the so-called Wilmot Proviso , who forbade the spread of slavery to the territories newly acquired by the USA. One of the most important accomplishments of Johnson's tenure was the establishment of the University of Louisiana bill, a draft he signed in 1847.

Shortly after the end of his tenure as governor, Johnson became Attorney General of Louisiana. He stayed that way until his death in March 1853.

Web links

• Isaac Johnson at the National Governors Association (English)
• The Governors of Louisiana
• The Political Graveyard (English)