Johnson, Thomas

Johnson, Thomas

▪ United States governor and jurist
born Nov. 4, 1732, Calvert county, Md. [U.S.]
died Oct. 26, 1819, Rose Hill, near Frederick, Md.

      American Revolutionary War leader, first governor of Maryland (1777–79), and associate justice of the United States Supreme Court (1792–93).

      Johnson studied law in Annapolis, Md., and entered the provincial assembly in 1762. Opposed to British colonial policy, he was a member of several committees formed to draft memorials to the crown for redress of grievances and of the convention charged with organizing a colonial congress. He represented Maryland at the first Continental Congress in Philadelphia in September 1774. At the second Congress it fell to him to nominate George Washington (Washington, George) as commander in chief. Johnson supported conciliation with Great Britain but, once persuaded that the effort was fruitless, voted for the Declaration of Independence, helped frame the constitution of the state of Maryland, and, as the first brigadier general of the state militia, recruited 1,800 men to join Washington.

      He was elected the first governor of the state of Maryland in 1777 and was twice reelected, after which he served in the legislature. After the war, he and Washington formed a company to extend navigation of the Potomac River. He also served briefly in the Maryland ratification convention, where he supported ratification of the federal Constitution, and then became chief judge of the General Court of Maryland. He was named by Washington to the U.S. Supreme Court and took his seat in 1792. Johnson wrote the first opinion of that court but, because of ill health, served only briefly. Appointed to the board of commissioners of Federal City, he was largely responsible for renaming it Washington in honour of his friend.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Johnson,Thomas — Johnson, Thomas. 1732 1819. American politician and jurist. He was the first governor of Maryland (1777 1779) and served as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1792 1793). * * * …   Universalium

  • Johnson Thomas Umurakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi — Johnson Aguiyi Ironsi (* 3. März 1924 als Johnson Thomas Umananke Aguiyi Ironsi in Umuahia; † 29. Juli 1966 in Ibadan) war 1966 Staatspräsident von Nigeria. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Soldat 2 Präsident 3 Bedeutung 4 …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Thomas Johnson — Nacimiento ca. 1600 Yorkshire Fallecimiento 1644 Londres Residencia Gran Bretaña Nacionalidad …   Wikipedia Español

  • Thomas George Pratt — (* 18. Februar 1804 in Washington D.C.; † 9. November 1869 in Baltimore, Maryland) war ein US amerikanischer Politiker und von 1845 bis 1848 Gouverneur des …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Thomas Johnson (1604/5-1644) — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Thomas Johnson et Johnson. Thomas Johnson est un botaniste britannique, né en 1604 ou 1605 à Shelby et mort le 28 septembre 1644 durant le siège de Basing Castle. Il étudie à Oxford et obtient son titre de… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Thomas johnson (1604/5-1644) — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Thomas Johnson et Johnson. Thomas Johnson est un botaniste britannique, né en 1604 ou 1605 à Shelby et mort le 28 septembre 1644 durant le siège de Basing Castle. Il étudie à Oxford et obtient son titre de… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Thomas johnson (1863-1954) — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Thomas Johnson et Johnson. Thomas Johnson est un botaniste britannique, né en 1863 à Barton on Humber et mort le 9 septembre 1954. Il fait ses études à l’Elmfield College à York puis au Royal College de London où …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Thomas Ward Veazey — (* 31. Januar 1774 im Cecil County, Maryland; † 1. Juli 1842 ebenda) war ein US amerikanischer Politiker und von 1836 bis 1839 Gouverneur des Bundes …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Thomas Howard — ist der Name folgender Personen: Thomas Howard (1511–1537), Sohn von Thomas Howard, 2. Duke of Norfolk Thomas Howard (Pirat), ein Pirat, aktiv zwischen 1698 und 1703, erwähnt bei Charles Johnson Thomas Howard, 2. Duke of Norfolk (1443–1524),… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Thomas Pavier — (died 1625) was a London publisher and bookseller of the early seventeenth century. His complex involvement in the publication of early editions of some of Shakespeare s plays, as well as plays of the Shakespeare Apocrypha, has left him with a… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”