David Johnson | |
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| 62nd Governor of South Carolina | |
| In office December 1, 1846 – December 1, 1848 | |
| Lieutenant | William Cain |
| Preceded by | William Aiken, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Whitemarsh Benjamin Seabrook |
| Chancellor of theSouth Carolina Court of Appeals | |
| In office December 1835 – December 5, 1846 | |
| Presiding Judge of the South Carolina Court of Appeals | |
| In office 1830 – December 1835 | |
| Judge of the South Carolina Court of Appeals | |
| In office December 18, 1824 – 1830 | |
| Member of theSouth Carolina House of Representatives fromUnion District | |
| In office November 26, 1810 – December 4, 1811 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1782-10-03)October 3, 1782 |
| Died | January 7, 1855(1855-01-07) (aged 72) |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Cemetery,Union, South Carolina |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Barbara Courtney Asbury Herndon |
| Signature |  |
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David Johnson (October 3, 1782 – January 7, 1855) was the 62ndGovernor ofSouth Carolina from 1846 to 1848.
Born inLouisa County, Virginia,[1] Johnson was educated inYork County, but moved with his family toChester District in 1789. He studied law in South Carolina and became asolicitor of theUnion District in 1812 as well as being elected to theSouth Carolina House of Representatives.
Excelling in law, Johnson was made a circuit judge in 1815, a judge of theCourt of Appeals in 1824, a presiding judge of the Court of Appeals in 1830 and a chancellor in 1835. During his time on the bench, Johnson was a notedUnionist because of his decision to strike down amilitia oath to South Carolina and his view that a violation of a law of theUnited States was a violation of the law of South Carolina. His son-in-law was Confederate GeneralJohn A. Wharton.
TheGeneral Assembly elected Johnson asGovernor of South Carolina in 1846 for a two-year term. TheMexican–American War occurred during his administration and the state aptly supported the cause. Much discussed was theWilmot Proviso which would have outlawed slavery in the territory acquired fromMexico as a result of the war and it helped to further push the state towards the brink ofsecession. A Unionist would not become Governor of South Carolina again until the end of theCivil War whenBenjamin Franklin Perry was appointed by PresidentAndrew Johnson.
After his term as governor, Johnson returned toUpstate South Carolina where he died on January 7, 1855.[1] He was buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery inUnion.
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| Preceded by | Governor of South Carolina 1846–1848 | Succeeded by |
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