William B. Campbell

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William B. Campbell

William Bowell Campbell (born February 1, 1807 in Sumner County , Tennessee , † August 19, 1867 in Lebanon , Tennessee) was an American politician and from 1851 to 1853 the 16th Governor of Tennessee. He had previously represented this state in the US House of Representatives from 1837 to 1851 .

Early years

The young William Campbell studied law with David Campbell , the future governor of Virginia . In 1829 he returned to Tennessee, where he was admitted to the bar. He practiced as a lawyer in his law firm in Carthage for over 20 years. In 1831 Campbell became a district attorney for his district. In 1835 he was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives . When the Seminole War broke out , he volunteered and served under William Trousdale . After the end of the war he was elected to Congress for three terms (1837–1843) , where he represented the sixth constituency of his state. From 1847 to 1850 he was a judge in the 4th Judical Circuit of Tennessee. He was also a participant in the Mexican-American War , where he excelled in several battles. In 1851 he was elected governor of Tennessee against incumbent Trousdale.

Governor of Tennessee

Campbell was the last governor of Tennessee to belong to the Whig Party . He continued a judicial reform that had already started and secured the funds for the construction of a hospital for the mentally handicapped. The construction of the Capitol in Nashville continued under him. Campbell decided in 1853 not to run again. He was succeeded by the Democrat and later US President Andrew Johnson .

After the end of his tenure, Campbell initially withdrew into private life. He moved from Carthage to Lebanon, where he became President of the Bank of Middle Tennessee . In 1860 he campaigned for John Bell , the candidate for the Constitutional Union Party , in the presidential election . After the election of the Republican Abraham Lincoln , he campaigned in Tennessee to remain in the Union and was firmly against secession. When the civil war broke out , he consequently opted for the northern states . Lincoln appointed him Brigadier General of a Volunteer Unit within the Union Forces in 1862. Due to health problems, he had to give up this post again in 1863.

After the war, he worked on the reintegration of Tennessee into the Union. After his party had disappeared from the political scene before the civil war, he now joined the Democrats. For this party he entered Congress again in 1866. There he strongly advocated Andrew Johnson's reconstruction policy . He died in Lebanon on August 19, 1867. William Campbell was married to Frances Isabelle Owen, with whom he had seven children.

literature

  • Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978 . Volume 4, Meckler Books, Westport 1978.
  • The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography . Volume 7, James T. White & Company, New York.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Campbell, William B.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Campbell, William Bowell (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH February 1, 1807
PLACE OF BIRTH Sumner County , Tennessee
DATE OF DEATH August 19, 1867
Place of death Lebanon , Tennessee