Johnson, Thomas, 1732-1819

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Thomas Johnson (November 4, 1732 – October 26, 1819) was an 18th-century American judge, politician, and a Founding Father of the United States who participated in several ventures to support the Revolutionary War. Johnson was the first non-Colonial governor of Maryland, a delegate to the Continental Congress, where he signed the Continental Association, and an associate justice of the Supreme Court. He was the first person appointed to the court after its original organization and staffing with six justices. Johnson's tenure on the Supreme Court lasted only 163 days, which makes him the shortest-serving justice in U.S. history.

Born in Calvert County, Maryland, Johnson was educated at home. As a young man he was attracted to the law, studied it with an established firm, and was admitted to the Maryland bar in 1753. By 1760, he had moved his practice to Frederick County, and in 1761 he was elected to the Maryland provincial assembly for the first time. In 1774 and 1775, the Maryland assembly sent him as a delegate to the Continental Congress. In the Congress Johnson was allied with those who favored separation from Great Britain. In November 1775, Congress created a Committee of [Secret] Correspondence that was to seek foreign support for the war. Thomas Johnson, along with Benjamin Franklin, and Benjamin Harrison V, were initially named to the committee. Johnson returned to Maryland and continued his work in the state's Assembly when the United States Declaration of Independence was signed. In 1775 he drafted the declaration of rights adopted by the Maryland assembly and later included as the first part of the state's first constitution. He also served as brigadier general in the Maryland militia.

In 1777, the state legislature elected Johnson as the new state's first Governor. He served in that capacity until 1779. In the 1780s he held a number of judicial posts in Maryland, as well as serving in the assembly in 1780, 1786, and 1787. Johnson attended the Maryland Convention in 1788, where he successfully urged the state's ratification of the United States Constitution. In September 1789, President George Washington nominated Johnson to be the first federal judge for the District of Maryland, but he declined the appointment. In 1790 and 1791, Johnson was the senior justice in the Maryland General Court system. On August 5, 1791, Johnson received a recess appointment from Washington to the seat on the U.S. Supreme Court that became available after John Rutledge resigned. Formally nominated on October 31, 1791, Johnson was confirmed by the United States Senate on November 7, 1791. Though he received his commission that day, he was not sworn in until August 6, 1792. Johnson was the author of the Court's first written opinion, Georgia v. Brailsford, in 1792. He served on the court until January 16, 1793, when he resigned, citing his poor health and the difficulties of circuit riding. His tenure of 163 days is the shortest, to date, of any Justice.

Johnson suffered very poor health for many years, and cited it in declining Washington's 1795 offer to nominate him for Secretary of State, as Thomas Jefferson had recommended. He managed to deliver a eulogy for his friend George Washington at a birthday memorial service on February 22, 1800. On February 28, 1801, President John Adams named Johnson chief judge for the District of Columbia when first constituting that body. He died at Rose Hill in Frederick, Maryland. Originally buried in All Saints churchyard, his remains were later removed and re-interred at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Frederick.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Washington, George, 1732-1799. Letter to Thomas Johnson. New York, NY. 1789 Sept. 28. University of Iowa Libraries
creatorOf Johnson, Thomas, 1732-1819. Papers, 1776-1779. Duke University Libraries, Duke University Library; Perkins Library
referencedIn Johnson, Bradley T. (Bradley Tyler), 1829-1903. Papers of Bradley T. Johnson, 1676-1937 (bulk 1840-1896). University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn George Washington papers, 1592-1943 Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
creatorOf Johnson, Thomas, 1732-1819. Autograph letter signed, 1780 Jul. 16. Pierpont Morgan Library.
referencedIn Henry, Patrick, 1736-1799. Letter : Williamsburg to Governor Johnstone, Maryland, 1779 May 12. Library of Virginia
referencedIn George Washington papers, 1592-1943 Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Washington Irving's Life of George Washington Volume XII, Miscellany, 1769-1838 Cornell University Library
creatorOf Johnson, Thomas, 1732-1819. ALS, 1778 November 15, Annapolis, to Thomas Sollars, Baltimore. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
creatorOf Johnson, Thomas, 1732-1819. Letter, 6 February 1778. Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
creatorOf Chase, Samuel, 1741-1811. ALS, 1777 Aug. 26, Philadelphia, Pa., to Thomas Johnson. Rosenbach Museum & Library
creatorOf Carroll, Daniel, 1764-1849. A memorial of George Washington, engineer, 1785-1800. Cornell University Library
creatorOf Washington, George, 1732-1799. George Washington papers, 1754-1797. Minnesota Historical Society, Division of Archives and Manuscripts
creatorOf Johnson, Thomas, 1732-1819. ADS, 1778 November 16, In Council, Annapolis. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
referencedIn Greene, Nathanael, 1742-1786. Papers, 1777-1780 American Philosophical Society
referencedIn Sparks, Jared, 1789-1866. Jared Sparks collection of American manuscripts, 1582-1843 Houghton Library
referencedIn Henry, Patrick, 1736-1799. Letter : Williamsburg to Thomas Johnson, Governor of Maryland 1779 February 19. Library of Virginia
creatorOf Washington, George, 1732-1799. ALS, 1787 November 22 : Mount Vernon, to Thomas Johnson, Annapolis. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
creatorOf Johnson, Thomas, 1732-1819. ALS, 1778 September 9, In Council, [Annapolis], to Thomas Sollars, Naval Offices, Baltimore. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
referencedIn Courtenay, Bentley,. Papers collected by Bentley Courtenay [manuscript], 1775-1805. University of Virginia. Library
creatorOf Johnson, Thomas, 1732-1819. Autograph letter signed : Annapolis, to Robert Carter, 1774 Feb. 18. Pierpont Morgan Library.
referencedIn James Dudley Morgan Collection of Digges-L’Enfant-Morgan Papers, 1674-1923, (bulk 1778-1828) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
creatorOf Johnson, Thomas, 1732-1819. Letter, 1793 Sept. 25. Historical Society of Washington, D.C.
referencedIn Sparks, Jared, 1789-1866. Collection of documents concerning the American Revolution, 1740-1866 Houghton Library
referencedIn Richard Henry Lee Papers, 1763-1823 American Philosophical Society
creatorOf Johnson, Thomas, 1732-1819. Commission : of Joseph Hart, Baltimore, 1777 Aug. 30. Rosenbach Museum & Library
referencedIn Frederick M. Dearborn collection of military and political Americana, Part I: The Revolution and the Administration, 1669-1958. Houghton Library
creatorOf Henry, Patrick, 1736-1799. Letter to Thomas Johnson [manuscript], 1777 March 12. University of Virginia. Library
creatorOf Washington, George, 1732-1799. ALS, 1788 August 31 : Mount Vernon, to Thomas Johnson. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
referencedIn United States Commissioners of the City of Washington records, 1791-1869 Library of Congress
creatorOf Johnson, Thomas, 1732-1819. ALS, 1778 September 12, In Council, Annapolis, to Thomas Sollars, Naval Offices, Baltimore Town. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
referencedIn Bradley T. Johnson Papers, 1676-1937 University of Virginia. Library. Special Collections Dept.
referencedIn Fitch, John, 1743-1798. John Fitch papers, 1783-1854. Library of Congress
creatorOf Chase, Samuel, 1741-1811. ALS, 1777 Aug. 12, Philadelphia, Pa., to Thomas Johnson. Rosenbach Museum & Library
creatorOf Cranch family. Cranch family papers, 1749-1882. Massachusetts Historical Society
creatorOf Johnson, Thomas, 1732-1819. Papers of Thomas Johnson, 1778-1795. Library of Congress
referencedIn Washington, George, 1732-1799. George Washington papers, 1592-1937 (bulk 1748-1799). Library of Congress
creatorOf Johnson, Thomas, 1732-1819. Commonplace and account book, 1777. Duke University Libraries, Duke University Library; Perkins Library
referencedIn Thomas Addis Emmet collection, 1483-1876 (bulk:1700-1800) New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn Johnson, Joshua, 1742-1802. Papers of Joshua Johnson, 1785-1788. Library of Congress
creatorOf Johnson, Thomas, 1732-1819. ALS, 1778 September 11, In Council, Annapolis, to Thomas Sollars, Naval Offices, Baltimore Town. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
creatorOf Pennsylvania. Supreme Executive Council. Circular letter, 1779 Feb. 8, Philadelphia, to the governors of the states. Rosenbach Museum & Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
auntOrUncleOf Adams, Louisa Catherine, 1775-1852 person
associatedWith Carter, Robert, 1728-1804, person
associatedWith Chase, Samuel, 1741-1811. person
associatedWith Courtenay, Bentley, person
associatedWith Cranch family. family
associatedWith Dearborn, Frederick M. (Frederick Myers), b. 1876 person
associatedWith Emmet, Thomas Addis person
correspondedWith Fitch, John, 1743-1798. person
associatedWith Greene, Nathanael, 1742-1786 person
associatedWith Greenleaf, James, 1765-1843 person
associatedWith Hart, Joseph, Lieutenant. person
associatedWith Henry, Patrick, 1736-1799. person
associatedWith Johnson, Bradley T. (Bradley Tyler), 1829-1903. person
sibling of Johnson, Joshua, 1742-1802. person
associatedWith Lee, Richard Henry, 1732-1794 person
associatedWith Maryland corporateBody
associatedWith Maryland Council of Safety. corporateBody
memberOf Maryland. General Court. corporateBody
associatedWith Maryland. Governor corporateBody
associatedWith Maryland. Militia. corporateBody
associatedWith Morgan, James Dudley, 1862-1919. person
associatedWith Mrs. Bradley T. Johnson person
associatedWith Pennsylvania. Supreme Executive Council. corporateBody
associatedWith Sollars, Thomas. person
associatedWith Sparks, Jared, 1789-1866 person
associatedWith Swift, John White. person
correspondedWith United States. Commissioners of the City of Washington. corporateBody
memberOf United States. Continental Congress. corporateBody
memberOf United States. Supreme Court corporateBody
correspondedWith Washington, George, 1732-1799. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Calvert County MD US
Annapolis MD US
District of Columbia DC US
Frederick MD US
Subject
Commerce
Governor
Occupation
Army officers
Delegates, U.S. Continental Congress
Federal Judge
Governors
Jurists
State Representative
Activity

Person

Birth 1732-11-04

Death 1819-10-26

Male

Britons,

Americans

English

Information

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