David Rogerson Williams (March 8, 1776November 17, 1830) was a representative in the United States Congress and the 45th governor of South Carolina from 1814 to 1816.

Early life and career

Born in Darlington County in the Province of South Carolina, Williams was educated at schools in Wrentham, Massachusetts, and attended

Rhode Island College Rhode Island College (RIC) is a public college in Providence, Rhode Island. The college was established in 1854 as the Rhode Island State Normal School, making it the second oldest institution of higher education in Rhode Island after Brown Uni ...

until he withdrew in 1795. Nonetheless, after studying law he was admitted to the bar in 1797 and he practiced law in Providence, Rhode Island, for three years. Williams returned to South Carolina and became an editor of the Republican papers ''City Gazette'' and ''Weekly Carolina Gazette'' of

Charleston Charleston most commonly refers to: * Charleston, South Carolina * Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital * Charleston (dance) Charleston may also refer to: Places Australia * Charleston, South Australia Canada * Charleston, Newfoundlan ...

. In 1803, Williams moved to Darlington County to engage in cotton planting and various manufacturing enterprises.

Political career

Williams was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1804 from the

3rd congressional district Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (disambiguation) * Third Avenue (disambiguation) * High ...

as a Democratic-Republican. In general, Williams was a political maverick who stressed the need for limited government while also having greater accountability to the voters. When Williams first arrived in Washington D.C., he was offered to have dinner with President Thomas Jefferson, but Williams refused because he felt that it might interfere with his independence of mind. To let the voters know how their money was being spent, Williams requested an itemization of

appropriation bills An appropriation, also known as supply bill or spending bill, is a proposed law that authorizes the expenditure of government funds. It is a bill that sets money aside for specific spending. In some democracies, approval of the legislature is ne ...

rather than a lump sum, but the House voted against an itemization. As an ardent Nationalist, Williams left the House in 1813 to participate in the War of 1812 and was appointed by President James Madison as a

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed t ...

in the U.S. Army. He resigned in 1814 because of personal reasons and was involved in agriculture until his election later that year as

Governor of South Carolina The governor of South Carolina is the head of government of South Carolina. The governor is the '' ex officio'' commander-in-chief of the National Guard when not called into federal service. The governor's responsibilities include making year ...

for a two-year term by the General Assembly.

Later life and career

After leaving the governorship in 1816, Williams returned to Darlington County to resume his planting and manufacturing operations. He was elected in 1824 to the

South Carolina Senate The South Carolina Senate is the upper house of the South Carolina General Assembly, the lower house being the South Carolina House of Representatives. It consists of 46 senators elected from single member districts for four-year terms at the sa ...

and served until his accidental death while superintending the construction of a bridge over Lynchs Creek on November 17, 1830. Williams was interred on Plumfield Plantation near Society Hill.

References

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External links

SCIway Biography of David Rogerson WilliamsNGA Biography of David Rogerson WilliamsUnited States Congress Biography of David Rogerson Williams
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, David Rogerson 1776 births 1830 deaths Brown University alumni 19th-century American newspaper publishers (people) Governors of South Carolina University of South Carolina trustees South Carolina state senators Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from South Carolina Democratic-Republican Party state governors of the United States People from Darlington County, South Carolina