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WILLIAM JOHNSON
was born on December 17, 1771, in Charleston, South Carolina.
During the Revolutionary War, his father was imprisoned
by the British and the family was exiled to Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania. Johnson was graduated from the College of
New Jersey (now Princeton University) in 1790, and studied
law in a Charleston law office. Johnson was admitted to
the bar in 1793, and the following year he was elected
to the South Carolina House of Representatives. He served
three consecutive terms, the third term as Speaker. In
1799, the South Carolina Legislature elected Johnson to
one of the three seats on the Court of Common Pleas, the
highest court in the State. Johnson had served on the
Court of Common Please for four years when, on March 22,
1804, President Thomas Jefferson nominated him to the
Supreme Court of the United States. The Senate confirmed
the appointment two days later. Johnson served on the
Supreme Court for thirty years. He died on August 4, 1834,
at the age of sixty-two. |
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