38°12′27.2″N75°41′41.7″W / 38.207556°N 75.694917°W /38.207556; -75.694917
John W. Crisfield | |
|---|---|
 John W. Crisfield | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives from Maryland's6th district | |
| In office March 4, 1847 – March 3, 1849 | |
| Preceded by | Edward H. C. Long |
| Succeeded by | John B. Kerr |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives from Maryland's1st district | |
| In office March 4, 1861 – March 3, 1863 | |
| Preceded by | James A. Stewart |
| Succeeded by | John A. J. Creswell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1806-11-08)November 8, 1806 Kent County, Maryland, U.S. |
| Died | (1897-01-12)January 12, 1897 Princess Anne, Maryland, U.S. |
| Party | Whig,Union |
| Spouse(s) | Ellen R. Johnson, Julia Ethelaide Page, Mary W. Handy |
| Children | Henry Page and 6 others |
| Residence | Edge Hill |
| Alma mater | Washington College |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
John Woodland Crisfield (November 8, 1806 – January 12, 1897) was aU.S. representative fromMaryland, representing thesixth district from 1847 to 1849 and thefirst district from 1861 to 1863. The city ofCrisfield, Maryland, is named after him. Crisfield was a strong supporter of theUnion duringAmerican Civil War, opposing moves towards Maryland'ssecession. However, Crisfield also supported the institution ofslavery and worked to prevent itsabolition in Maryland.
Crisfield was born nearGalena, Maryland, inKent County on theEastern Shore of Maryland. His father, Arthur, died when he was 16 years old. He was educated atWashington College inChestertown, Maryland. He studied law, worked at the law firm of his cousin and brother-in-law Henry Page and was admitted to the bar in 1830, commencing practice inIndiana. Shortly after going to Indiana he was called back to Maryland and decided to remain. In 1832 he opened his own law office in Princess Anne.[1]
Crisfield entered theMaryland House of Delegates in 1836 and was an ardentWhig and supported Clay and Webster in their runs for the Presidency. In 1840, he was the editor and owner of the Somerset Herald, which supportedWilliam Henry Harrison for president.[1]
He was elected to the Thirtieth Congress, defeatingSamuel D. Lecompte, and serving the6th Congressional district of Maryland from March 4, 1847 until March 3, 1849. While in Congress, he opposed theMexican-American War and supported the spread of slavery into the territories. He chose not to run for re-election in 1849.[1]
He was a delegate to the State constitutional convention in 1850-1851, where he unsuccessfully opposed the election of judges.[1]
When the Whig party dissolved, Crisfield chose not to join theAmerican Party. He ran for the judgeship of the Queen Anne district, but lost by 64 votes to a candidate of the American Party. After that, he voted with the Democrats, but never affiliated with it.[1]
He was a member of thepeace conference of 1861 held in Washington, D.C., in an effort to devise means to prevent the impendingAmerican Civil War.
In 1861, Crisfield was elected as aUnionist to the Thirty-seventh Congress from the1st Congressional district of Maryland, serving one term from March 4, 1861, until March 3, 1863. He saw secession as revolution and did all he could do avoid the breakup of the Union.[1]
Although Maryland remained loyal to the Union at the outbreak of theAmerican Civil War, Maryland was divided on the question of slavery and the emancipation of Maryland slaves remained by no means a foregone conclusion. On December 16, 1861, a bill was presented to Congress to emancipate slaves in Washington, D.C.,[2] and in March 1862 Lincoln held talks with Crisfield on the subject of emancipation.[2] Crisfield however argued that freedom would be worse for the slaves than slavery, especially in time of war, but such arguments could no longer hold back the abolitionist tide.
Crisfield also opposed makinggreenbacks official currency and felt vindicated when they werestruck down by the Supreme Court, even if the ruling didn't hold for long.[1]
In 1863 Crisfield was defeated in local elections by the abolitionist candidateJohn Creswell, amid allegations of vote-rigging by the army.[2]
After being defeated at the polls, Crisfield resumed the practice of law.
Crisfield served as a delegate to theNational Union Convention inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1866 but focused mainly on his career as a lawyer dealing with land ownership, riparian rights and civil rights cases.[1]
During this time he was a leader of efforts to deny recently freed slaves the right to vote and to oppose any special favors on their part.[3]
He was instrumental in building theEastern Shore Railroad and served as its president. The railroad connected the fishing town of Somers Cove/Governors Point which was growing rapidly due to the seafood industry there to theDelaware Railroad. He foundedCrisfield in this location, which was named for him in his honor.[1]
He was married three times. He was first married to Ellen R. Johnson, then to his cousin, Julia Ethelaide Page - by whom he was father to future congressmanHenry Page - and finally to Mary W. Handy
A rural road in Princess Anne, called Crisfield Lane and passing next to his homeplace, 'Edge Hill', is also named after him. He died at Edge Hill in Princess Anne in 1897, and is interred in Manokin Presbyterian Cemetery.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromMaryland's 6th congressional district 1847–1849 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromMaryland's 1st congressional district 1861–1863 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
