William Alexander Richardson (January 16, 1811 – December 27, 1875) was a prominent
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...
Democratic politician before and during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...
.
Born near
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County. By population, it is the second-largest city in Kentucky and 57th-largest city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 28th-largest ...
, Richardson attended
Transylvania University
Transylvania University is a private university in Lexington, Kentucky. It was founded in 1780 and was the first university in Kentucky. It offers 46 major programs, as well as dual-degree engineering programs, and is accredited by the Southern ...
, and then proceeded to teach school and study law. He passed the bar exam in 1831 and started his practice in
Shelbyville, Illinois
Shelbyville is a city in and the county seat of Shelby County, Illinois, United States, along the Kaskaskia River. As of the 2020 census, the population was at 4,674. HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital, located in town, is the county's only hospital. ...
. He was an attorney for the state from 1834 to 1835, and was elected representative to the state house, serving from 1836 to 1838. He moved over to the
state senate from 1838 to 1842, and then back to the house again from 1844 to 1846, briefly serving as speaker of the lower house during his last term. He was a presidential elector in 1844 for the Democrats.
Richardson enlisted as a
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
in the
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
during the
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the ...
, and was promoted to the rank of major. After the war, he moved to
Quincy, Illinois
Quincy ( ), known as Illinois's "Gem City", is a city in and the county seat of Adams County, Illinois, United States, located on the Mississippi River. The 2020 census counted a population of 39,463 in the city itself, down from 40,633 in 2010. ...
, and then was elected a U.S congressman to the
30th Congress
The 30th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 184 ...
to fill
Stephen A. Douglas's seat. He was then reelected to the
31st,
32nd,
33rd, and
34th Congresses for the same seat (1847 to 1856).
During his time in the
House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
, he was the Chairman of the Committee on Territories (32nd–33rd Congresses). He resigned in August 1856 to run for
Governor of Illinois
The governor of Illinois is the head of government of Illinois, and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction, as prescribed in the state constitution. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by p ...
. He narrowly lost to fellow representative, and first nominee of the newly established
Republican Party
Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party.
Republican Party may also refer to:
Africa
* Republican Party (Liberia)
*Republican Party ...
William H. Bissell. Richardson took most of south Illinois while Bissell won most of north Illinois, and a couple of counties in the southern part of the state. Bissell won by 4,697 votes (slightly less than 2% of the vote).
After being defeated, Richardson was appointed by President
James Buchanan
James Buchanan Jr. ( ; April 23, 1791June 1, 1868) was an American lawyer, diplomat and politician who served as the 15th president of the United States from 1857 to 1861. He previously served as secretary of state from 1845 to 1849 and repr ...
as the
Governor of the Nebraska Territory for most of 1858. Richardson resigned near the end of the year.
He was a delegate to
1860 Democratic National Convention
The 1860 Democratic National Conventions were a series of presidential nominating conventions held to nominate the Democratic Party's candidates for president and vice president in the 1860 election. The first convention, held from April 23 to ...
from Illinois. He then came back to Washington D.C. as a member of the
37th Congress in 1861. In 1863, he was elected to fill Stephen Douglas's old seat in the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and po ...
, defeating incumbent Republican
Orville Browning
Orville Hickman Browning (February 10, 1806 – August 10, 1881) was an attorney in Illinois and a politician who was active in the Whig and Republican Parties. He is notable for his service as a U.S. Senator and the United States Secre ...
. He was not renominated in 1865 and spent the rest of his life engaged in newspaper work.
He died on December 27, 1875 in
Quincy, Illinois
Quincy ( ), known as Illinois's "Gem City", is a city in and the county seat of Adams County, Illinois, United States, located on the Mississippi River. The 2020 census counted a population of 39,463 in the city itself, down from 40,633 in 2010. ...
, where he is buried.
Richardson County, Nebraska
Richardson County is the easternmost county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2010 census, the population was 8,363. Its county seat is Falls City.
In the Nebraska license plate system, Richardson County is represented by the pref ...
is named after him.
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Richardson, William Alexander
Governors of Nebraska Territory
Illinois lawyers
Democratic Party Illinois state senators
Speakers of the Illinois House of Representatives
People from Quincy, Illinois
People from Shelbyville, Illinois
People of Illinois in the American Civil War
Transylvania University alumni
Centre College alumni
Union (American Civil War) political leaders
Democratic Party United States senators from Illinois
1811 births
1875 deaths
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois
19th-century American politicians
19th-century American lawyers