William Houstoun (politician)

Silhouette by William Houstoun

William Houstoun (* 1755 in Savannah , Province of Georgia ; †  March 17, 1813 ibid) was an American politician . Between 1784 and 1786 he was a delegate for Georgia in the Continental Congress .

Career

William Houstoun was the younger brother of John Houstoun (1744-1796), who was, among other things, governor of Georgia. He attended the public schools in his home country and then studied in England . After studying law at the Inner Temple in London , he was admitted to the bar in 1776. He returned to Georgia, where he worked as a planter in the meantime . Unlike most of his family, he joined the revolutionary movement. With his attitude, he had a difficult time not only in his family, but also in his home country in general, because many fellow citizens were initially loyal to the British crown. Between 1784 and 1786 he represented Georgia in the Continental Congress. In 1785 he was also a member of a commission to settle a dispute over the course of the Georgia- South Carolina border . In 1787 he was a brief delegate to the Philadelphia Convention , which drafted the United States Constitution . He did not agree with the constitution that was finally passed and rejected it because, in his opinion, the power of the federal government was too great. Consequently, he also refused to sign the constitutional document.

William Houstoun was also one of the founders of the University of Georgia at Athens . He was married to Mary Bayard, who came from a well-known New York City family. In his later years he lived alternately in Savannah and New York City. The local Houston Street was named despite the change in spelling of the name, according to him. He died in Savannah on March 17, 1813.

Web links

• William Houstoun in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

• William Houstoun in the database of Find a Grave (English)