Samuel Johnston
:
This article is about Samuel Johnston, North Carolina governor. For the British lexicographer, see Samuel Johnson.Samuel Johnston (
December 15,
1733–
August 17,
1816) was an
American planter, lawyer, and statesman from
Chowan County, North Carolina. He represented
North Carolina in both the
Continental Congress and the
United States Senate, and was
Governor of North Carolina.
Johnston was born in
Dundee, Scotland, but came to America when his father (Samuel, Sr.) moved to
Onslow County, North Carolina in
1736. Samuel Sr. became surveyor-general of the colony where his brother,
Gabriel Johnston, was Royal Governor. Young Samuel was educated in New England, then read law in Carolina. He moved to Chowan County and started his own plantation, known as
Hayes near
Edenton.
Johnston was admitted to the bar and began the practice of law in Edenton. In
1759 he was elected to the colony's general assembly and would serve in that body until it was displaced in
1775 as a part of the
Revolution. As a strong supporter of independedence, he was also elected as a delegate to the first four provincial congresses and presided over their meetings in
1775 and
1776. For a brief time after the Royal Governor
Josiah Martin abdicated ijn 1775, he was effectively the governor before
Richard Caswell was elected.
Under the new state Government, Johnston was elected to the state senate in
1779 and again in
1783 and
1784. North Carolina sent him as a delegate to the
Continental Congress in
1780 and
1781. In July of 1781 the Congress elected him Pressident, but he declined the office and
Thomas McKean was elected the following day.
Johnston served as Governor of North Carolina from
1777 to
1789. He presided over both conventions called to ratify the
U.S. Constitution. The first in
1788 rejected the Constitution in spite of Johnston's strong support. He called another convention in
1789 which did complete ratification. After statehood Johnston resigned as governor to become one of the state's first two
United States Senators, serving from 1789 until
1793. In
1800 he was made a Judge in the Superior Court of North Carolina, and office he held until his retirement in
1803.
Samuel died at his home,
Hayes Plantation, near Edenton in Chowan County, in 1816 and is buried in the Johnston Burial Ground there. The plantation house is privately owned, but is on the National Register of Historic places and is now within Edenton. However the current house was completed by his son, James C. Johnston, a year after Samuel's death.
*"It is apprehended that Jews, Mahometans (Muslims), pagans, etc., may be elected to high offices under the government of the United States. Those who are Mahometans, or any others who are not professors of the Christian religion, can never be elected to the office of President or other high office, [unless] first the people of America lay aside the Christian religion altogether, it may happen. Should this unfortunately take place, the people will choose such men as think as they do themselves.[Elliot's Debates, Vol. IV, pp 198-199, Governor Samuel Johnston, July 30, 1788 at the North Carolina Ratifying Convention]
*
Biographic sketch at U.S. Congress website*
Samuel Johnston at Find-A-Grave
