Jump to content

William F. Johnston: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
common fixes using AWB
FrescoBot (talk | contribs)
Bots
1,135,457 edits
 
(34 intermediate revisions by 27 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{short description|American politician}}
{{Infobox governor

|honorific-prefix =
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = William F. Johnston
|name = William F. Johnston
|honorific-suffix =
|image = W F Johnston.jpg
|image = W F Johnston.jpg
|alt =
|order =
|office = 11th [[List of governors of Pennsylvania|Governor of Pennsylvania]]
|order = 11th
|term_start = July 9, 1848
|office = Governor of Pennsylvania
|term_start = July 26, 1848
|term_end = January 20, 1852
|predecessor = [[Francis R. Shunk]]
|term_end = January 20, 1852
|successor = [[William Bigler]]
|lieutenant = <!--Can be repeated up to eight times by adding a number-->
|birth_name = William Freame Johnston
|predecessor = [[Francis R. Shunk]]
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1808|11|29}}
|successor = [[William Bigler]]
|birth_place = [[Greensburg, Pennsylvania]]

|birth_date = {{Birth date|1808|11|29}}
|death_date = {{Death date and age|1872|10|25|1808|11|29}}
|birth_place = [[Greensburg, Pennsylvania]]
|death_place = [[Pittsburgh]], [[Pennsylvania]]
|party = [[Whig Party (United States)|Whig]]
|death_date = {{Death date and age|1872|10|25|1808|11|29}}
|otherparty = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]], [[Know Nothing]]s
|death_place =
|spouse = Mary Montieth (m. 1832–1872; his death)
|restingplace =
|signature = Signature of William Freame Johnston (1808–1872).png
|restingplacecoordinates =
|birthname =
|nationality =
|party = [[Whig Party (United States)|Whig]]
|otherparty = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]
|spouse =
|partner = <!--For those with a domestic partner and not married-->
|relations =
|children =
|residence =
|alma_mater =
|occupation =
|profession =
|cabinet =
|committees =
|portfolio =
|religion =
|signature =
|signature_alt =
|website =
|footnotes =
|blank1 =
|data1 =
|blank2 =
|data2 =
|blank3 =
|data3 =
|blank4 =
|data4 =
|blank5 =
|data5 =
<!--Military service-->
|nickname =
|allegiance =
|branch =
|serviceyears =
|rank =
|unit =
|commands =
|battles =
|awards =
|military_blank1 =
|military_data1 =
|military_blank2 =
|military_data2 =
|military_blank3 =
|military_data3 =
|military_blank4 =
|military_data4 =
|military_blank5 =
|military_data5 =
}}
}}


'''William Freame Johnston''' (November 29, 1808{{spaced ndash}}October 25, 1872) was the [[List of Governors of Pennsylvania|11th Governor]] of [[Pennsylvania]] from 1848 to 1852. A lawyer by training, Johnston became district attorney of [[Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania|Westmoreland County]] at the age of 21 in 1829. He was elected to the Pennsylvania state legislature and switched from the [[United States Democratic Party|Democratic Party]] to the [[United States Whig Party|Whig Party]] in 1847 to run for the Pennsylvania Senate.
'''William Freame Johnston''' (November 29, 1808{{spaced ndash}}October 25, 1872) was the 11th [[governor of Pennsylvania]], from 1848 to 1852.<ref>"[https://www.newspapers.com/image/325157119/?terms=%22David%20Rittenhouse%20Porter%22&match=1 The Governors of Pennsylvania]." Mount Union, Pennsylvania: ''The Mount Union Times'', January 27, 1911, p. 1 (subscription required).</ref> A lawyer by training, Johnston became district attorney of [[Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania|Westmoreland County]] at the age of 21 in 1829. He was elected to the Pennsylvania state legislature and switched from the [[United States Democratic Party|Democratic Party]] to the [[United States Whig Party|Whig Party]] in 1847 to run for the Pennsylvania Senate.


William F. Johnston was born on November 29, 1808, in [[Greensburg, Pennsylvania]]. His parents were Alexander Johnston, an [[Ulster Scots people|Ulster Scots]] immigrant from [[County Tyrone]] and Elizabeth (Freame) Johnston, whose father was born in [[Belfast]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~treasures/pa/indiana/cyclopediaofindianaandarmstrongcos/honwilliamfreamejohnston.pdf|title=William Freame Johnston|publisher=Rootsweb.ancestry.com|access-date=September 19, 2015}}</ref> In 1832, Johnston married Mary Ann Montieth (1814–1898). The couple had five sons and two daughters.
He was named Senate Speaker in 1848 and, upon the resignation of Governor [[Francis Shunk]], assumed the position of governor. Although, because of the transition, Johnston could have delayed the scheduled October elections, he chose to let them proceed and was narrowly elected to the position, defeating Democratic candidate [[Morris Longstreth]] by only 297 votes. Although he was part of the [[Free Soil]] faction of Whigs opposed to slavery, Johnston faced the federal [[Fugitive Slave Law of 1850|Fugitive Slave Act]] and fought its enforcement in Pennsylvania. Johnston lost re-election to Democrat [[William Bigler]] in 1851.


He was named Senate Speaker in 1848 and, upon the resignation of Governor [[Francis R. Shunk|Francis Shunk]], assumed the position of governor. Although, because of the transition, Johnston could have delayed the scheduled October elections, he chose to let them proceed and was [[1848 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election|narrowly elected]] to the position as a Whig, defeating Democratic candidate Morris Longstreth by only 297 votes. Johnston fought the federal [[Fugitive Slave Law of 1850|Fugitive Slave Act]] and its enforcement in Pennsylvania. He lost re-election to Democrat [[William Bigler]] in [[1851 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election|1851]].
Johnston Commons on [[Penn State University]] is named for the former governor. His father built and operated the [[Kingston House]] in [[Unity Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania|Unity Township, Pennsylvania]].<ref name="arch">{{cite web| url = https://www.dot7.state.pa.us/ce/SelectWelcome.asp| title = National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania| publisher = CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System| format = Searchable database}} ''Note:'' This includes {{cite web| url = https://www.dot7.state.pa.us/ce_imagery/phmc_scans/H082635_01H.pdf| title = National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Kingston House | accessdate = 2012-06-10| author = George Swetnam and Helene Smith| format = PDF| date= May 1982}}</ref> It was added to the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1983.<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>

In 1856 he was nominated by the northern, anti-slavery faction of the [[Know Nothing|American Party]] for the office of Vice President, but was later induced to withdraw in favor of [[William L. Dayton]], the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] nominee.<ref>{{cite book|first=Michael F.|last=Holt|year=1999|title=The Rise and Fall of the American Whig Party|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=0-19-505544-6|page=1175|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5aGyVFn3VnMC&pg=PA1175}}</ref>

In 1864, in the midst of the [[American Civil War]], Johnston refused to support the renomination of incumbent president [[Abraham Lincoln]] by the Republican Party, instead backing the splinter [[Radical Democracy Party (United States)|Radical Democracy Party]] and their campaign in favor of [[John C. Frémont]], the Republican Party's presidential nominee in 1856 who was now campaigning on a platform calling for a more radical [[Reconstruction era|reconstruction]] than Lincoln endorsed. Johnston would serve as the temporary convention president at the convention where Frémont would be nominated.<ref>[[John C. Waugh]], ''Reelecting Lincoln: The Battle for the 1864 Presidency'' (Crown Publishers, 1997) pp. 178</ref>

Johnston Commons on [[Penn State University]] is named for the former governor. His father built and operated the [[Kingston House (Pennsylvania)|Kingston House]] in [[Unity Township, Pennsylvania]].<ref name="arch">{{cite web| url = https://www.dot7.state.pa.us/ce/SelectWelcome.asp| title = National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania| publisher = CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System| format = Searchable database}} ''Note:'' This includes {{cite web| url = https://www.dot7.state.pa.us/ce_imagery/phmc_scans/H082635_01H.pdf| title = National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Kingston House | access-date = 2012-06-10| author = George Swetnam and Helene Smith| date= May 1982}}</ref> It was added to the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1983.<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
Line 84: Line 41:


{{s-start}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{s-bef|before=[[James Irvin (politician)|James Irvin]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Whig Party (United States)|Whig]] nominee for [[Governor of Pennsylvania]]|years=[[1848 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election|1848]], [[1851 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election|1851]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[James Pollock (American politician)|James Pollock]]}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-off}}
{{succession box | before=[[Francis R. Shunk]] |title=[[Governor of Pennsylvania]] | years=1848&ndash;1852 | after=[[William Bigler]]}}
{{succession box | before=[[Francis R. Shunk]] |title=[[List of governors of Pennsylvania|Governor of Pennsylvania]] | years=1848&ndash;1852 | after=[[William Bigler]]}}
{{s-end}}{{Governors and Presidents of Pennsylvania}}
{{s-end}}{{Governors and Presidents of Pennsylvania}}


{{Authority control|VIAF=2334454}}
{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnston, William F}}
{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
| NAME = Johnston, William
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = American politician
| DATE OF BIRTH = 1808
| PLACE OF BIRTH = [[Greensburg, Pennsylvania]]
| DATE OF DEATH = 1872
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnston, William}}
[[Category:1808 births]]
[[Category:1808 births]]
[[Category:1872 deaths]]
[[Category:1872 deaths]]
[[Category:Governors of Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:People from Greensburg, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania Whigs]]
[[Category:American people of Scotch-Irish descent]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania Democrats]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania Democrats]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania Whigs]]
[[Category:Governors of Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Whig Party state governors of the United States]]
[[Category:19th-century American politicians]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania Know Nothings]]
[[Category:Burials at Allegheny Cemetery]]

Latest revision as of 23:18, 22 May 2024

William F. Johnston
11th Governor of Pennsylvania
In office
July 9, 1848 – January 20, 1852
Preceded byFrancis R. Shunk
Succeeded byWilliam Bigler
Personal details
Born
William Freame Johnston

(1808-11-29)November 29, 1808
Greensburg, Pennsylvania
DiedOctober 25, 1872(1872-10-25) (aged 63)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Political partyWhig
Other political
affiliations		Democratic Party, Know Nothings
SpouseMary Montieth (m. 1832–1872; his death)
Signature

William Freame Johnston (November 29, 1808 – October 25, 1872) was the 11th governor of Pennsylvania, from 1848 to 1852.[1] A lawyer by training, Johnston became district attorney of Westmoreland County at the age of 21 in 1829. He was elected to the Pennsylvania state legislature and switched from the Democratic Party to the Whig Party in 1847 to run for the Pennsylvania Senate.

William F. Johnston was born on November 29, 1808, in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. His parents were Alexander Johnston, an Ulster Scots immigrant from County Tyrone and Elizabeth (Freame) Johnston, whose father was born in Belfast.[2] In 1832, Johnston married Mary Ann Montieth (1814–1898). The couple had five sons and two daughters.

He was named Senate Speaker in 1848 and, upon the resignation of Governor Francis Shunk, assumed the position of governor. Although, because of the transition, Johnston could have delayed the scheduled October elections, he chose to let them proceed and was narrowly elected to the position as a Whig, defeating Democratic candidate Morris Longstreth by only 297 votes. Johnston fought the federal Fugitive Slave Act and its enforcement in Pennsylvania. He lost re-election to Democrat William Bigler in 1851.

In 1856 he was nominated by the northern, anti-slavery faction of the American Party for the office of Vice President, but was later induced to withdraw in favor of William L. Dayton, the Republican nominee.[3]

In 1864, in the midst of the American Civil War, Johnston refused to support the renomination of incumbent president Abraham Lincoln by the Republican Party, instead backing the splinter Radical Democracy Party and their campaign in favor of John C. Frémont, the Republican Party's presidential nominee in 1856 who was now campaigning on a platform calling for a more radical reconstruction than Lincoln endorsed. Johnston would serve as the temporary convention president at the convention where Frémont would be nominated.[4]

Johnston Commons on Penn State University is named for the former governor. His father built and operated the Kingston House in Unity Township, Pennsylvania.[5] It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.[6]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "The Governors of Pennsylvania." Mount Union, Pennsylvania: The Mount Union Times, January 27, 1911, p. 1 (subscription required).
  2. ^ "William Freame Johnston" (PDF). Rootsweb.ancestry.com. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  3. ^ Holt, Michael F. (1999). The Rise and Fall of the American Whig Party. Oxford University Press. p. 1175. ISBN 0-19-505544-6.
  4. ^ John C. Waugh, Reelecting Lincoln: The Battle for the 1864 Presidency (Crown Publishers, 1997) pp. 178
  5. ^ "National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania" (Searchable database). CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System. Note: This includes George Swetnam and Helene Smith (May 1982). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Kingston House" (PDF). Retrieved June 10, 2012.
  6. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
[edit]
Party political offices
Preceded by Whig nominee for Governor of Pennsylvania
1848, 1851 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Governor of Pennsylvania
1848–1852 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_F._Johnston&oldid=1225197171"