William H. Crawford
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William Harris Crawford (February 24, 1772 – September 15, 1834) was an American
politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, ...
and judge during the early 19th century. He served as
US Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...
and US Secretary of the Treasury before he ran for
US president The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...
in the 1824 election. Born in
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...
, Crawford moved to
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
at a young age. After studying law, Crawford won election to the
Georgia House of Representatives The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly (the state legislature) of the U.S. state of Georgia. There are currently 180 elected members. Republicans have had a majority in the chamber since 2005 ...
in 1803. He aligned with the
Democratic-Republican Party The Democratic-Republican Party, known at the time as the Republican Party and also referred to as the Jeffersonian Republican Party among other names, was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the earl ...
and US Senator James Jackson. In 1807, the Georgia legislature elected Crawford to the
US 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 ...
. After the death of
US Vice President The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice pr ...
George Clinton, Crawford's position as president pro tempore of the US Senate made him first in the presidential line of succession from April 1812 to March 1813. In 1813, US President
James Madison James Madison Jr. (March 16, 1751June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father. He served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for hi ...
appointed Crawford as the minister to
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, and Crawford held that post for the remainder of the
War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
. After the war, Madison appointed him to the position of Secretary of War. In October 1816, Madison chose Crawford for the position of Secretary of the Treasury, and Crawford would remain in that office for the remainder of Madison's presidency and for the duration of
James Monroe James Monroe ( ; April 28, 1758July 4, 1831) was an American statesman, lawyer, diplomat, and Founding Father who served as the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, Monroe was ...
's presidency. Although Crawford suffered a severe stroke in 1823, he sought to succeed Monroe at the 1824 election. Crawford received the support of the Virginia dynasty, but ongoing concerns about his health along with a changing political landscape made it impossible for him to become the fourth consecutive Virginian to hold the office of president. The Democratic-Republican Party splintered into factions, as several others also sought the presidency. No candidate won a majority of the electoral vote and so the
US House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
chose the president in a
contingent election In the United States, a contingent election is used to elect the president or vice president if no candidate receives a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed. A presidential contingent election is decided by a special vote of th ...
. Under the terms of the
US Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven articles, it delineates the nation ...
, the House selected from the three candidates who received the most electoral votes, which left
Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...
,
John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams (; July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, and diarist who served as the sixth president of the United States, from 1825 to 1829. He previously served as the eighth United States S ...
, and Crawford in the running. The House selected Adams, who asked Crawford to remain as Treasury Secretary. Declining Adams's offer, Crawford returned to Georgia and accepted an appointment to the state superior court. Crawford considered running in the 1832 presidential election for the presidency or the vice presidency but ultimately chose not to when fellow southerner Andrew Jackson sought a second term.


Early life

Crawford was born on February 24, 1772, in the portion of
Amherst County, Virginia Amherst County is a county, located in the Piedmont region and near the center of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The county is part of the Lynchburg Metropolitan Statistical Area, and its county seat is also named Amherst ...
, that later became Nelson County, the son of Joel Crawford and Fanny Harris, but at least one source has given his birthplace as
Tusculum Tusculum is a ruined Roman city in the Alban Hills, in the Latium region of Italy. Tusculum was most famous in Roman times for the many great and luxurious patrician country villas sited close to the city, yet a comfortable distance from Rome ( ...
, a house whose site remains in Amherst County. He moved with his family to
Edgefield County, South Carolina Edgefield County is a county located on the western border of the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 25,657. Its county seat and largest municipality is Edgefield. The county was established on March 12, 17 ...
, in 1779 and to
Columbia County, Georgia Columbia County is a county located in the east central portion of the US state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 124,035. The legal county seat is Appling, but the ''de facto'' seat of county government is Evans.
, in 1783. Crawford was educated at private schools in Georgia and at Richmond Academy in Augusta. After his father's death, Crawford became the family's main financial provider, and he worked on the Crawford family farm and taught school. He later studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1799 and began to practice in Lexington. Also in 1799, Crawford was appointed by the state legislature to prepare a digest of Georgia's statutes.


State politics

He influenced Georgia politics for decades. In 1803, Crawford was elected to the
Georgia House of Representatives The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly (the state legislature) of the U.S. state of Georgia. There are currently 180 elected members. Republicans have had a majority in the chamber since 2005 ...
as a member of the
Democratic-Republican Party The Democratic-Republican Party, known at the time as the Republican Party and also referred to as the Jeffersonian Republican Party among other names, was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the earl ...
, and he served until 1807. He allied himself with Senator James Jackson. Their enemies were the Clarkites, led by John Clark. In 1802, he shot and killed Peter Lawrence Van Alen, a Clark ally, in a duel. Four years later, on December 16, 1806, Crawford faced Clark himself in a duel, and Crawford's left wrist was shattered by a shot from Clark, but he eventually recovered.


U.S. Senate

In 1807, Crawford joined the 10th Congress as the junior U.S. senator from Georgia when the Georgia legislature elected him to replace
George Jones George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013) was an American country musician, singer, and songwriter. He achieved international fame for his long list of hit records, including his best-known song "He Stopped Loving Her Today", ...
, who had held the office for a few months after the death of
Abraham Baldwin Abraham Baldwin (November 22, 1754March 4, 1807) was an American minister, Patriot, politician, and Founding Father who signed the United States Constitution. Born and raised in Connecticut, he was a 1772 graduate of Yale College. After the R ...
. Crawford was elected President pro tempore of the Senate in March 1812 and, following the April 20, 1812, death of Vice President George Clinton, served as the permanent Presiding Officer of the Senate until March 4, 1813. In 1811, Crawford declined to serve as
Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...
in the
Madison administration The presidency of James Madison began on March 4, 1809, when James Madison was United States presidential inauguration, inaugurated as President of the United States, and ended on March 4, 1817. Madison, the List of presidents of the United States ...
. In the Senate, he voted for several acts leading up to the
War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
and supported the entry into the war, but he was ready for peace: "Let it then be the wisdom of this nation to remain at peace, as long as peace is within its option." Throughout his service in the Senate, Crawford was described as a member of the older more traditional wing of the
Democratic-Republican Party The Democratic-Republican Party, known at the time as the Republican Party and also referred to as the Jeffersonian Republican Party among other names, was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the earl ...
, and he often focused on issues such as
states' rights In American political discourse, states' rights are political powers held for the state governments rather than the federal government according to the United States Constitution, reflecting especially the enumerated powers of Congress and the ...
, which he supported.


Minister to France

In 1813, President
James Madison James Madison Jr. (March 16, 1751June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father. He served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for hi ...
appointed Crawford as the US minister to France during the waning years of Napoleon's
First French Empire The First French Empire, officially the French Republic, then the French Empire (; Latin: ) after 1809, also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental Eu ...
. Crawford served until 1815, shortly after the end of the Napoleonic Wars.


Cabinet

Upon Crawford's return, Madison appointed him as
Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...
on 1 August 1815. Crawford served more than a year in that post. He sought but narrowly failed to win the Democratic-Republican nomination for the 1816 presidential race. Madison appointed him
Treasury Secretary The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...
on 22 October 1816. He remained in that post for the rest of Madison's term and both terms of President
James Monroe James Monroe ( ; April 28, 1758July 4, 1831) was an American statesman, lawyer, diplomat, and Founding Father who served as the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, Monroe was ...
, until 6 March 1825.


1824 election

The Congressional Caucus nominated Crawford for the 1824 election. However, Crawford had suffered a stroke in 1823 as a result of a prescription given to him by his physician. The Democratic-Republican Party was now split, and one of the splinter groups nominated Crawford. Despite improved health and the support of former Presidents Madison and
Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...
, he finished third in the electoral vote, behind Senator and General
Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...
, hero of the
Battle of New Orleans The Battle of New Orleans was fought on January 8, 1815 between the British Army under Major General Sir Edward Pakenham and the United States Army under Brevet Major General Andrew Jackson, roughly 5 miles (8 km) southeast of the French ...
, and Secretary of State
John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams (; July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, and diarist who served as the sixth president of the United States, from 1825 to 1829. He previously served as the eighth United States S ...
. In the subsequent contingent election, the House elected Adams President.


Later life

Refusing Adams's request for him to remain at the Treasury, Crawford then returned to Georgia, where he was appointed as a state superior court judge. Crawford remained an active judge until his death, a decade later. Crawford was nominated for vice president by the Georgia legislature in 1828 but withdrew after support from other states was not forthcoming. Crawford also considered running for vice president in 1832 but decided against it, in favor of
Martin Van Buren Martin Van Buren ( ; nl, Maarten van Buren; ; December 5, 1782 – July 24, 1862) was an American lawyer and statesman who served as the eighth president of the United States from 1837 to 1841. A primary founder of the Democratic Party (Uni ...
. Crawford also considered running for president again in 1832 but dropped the idea when Jackson decided to seek a second term. Crawford is buried at the site of his home, about half a mile west of the current Crawford city limit.


Societies

During the 1820s, Crawford was a member of the prestigious society
Columbian Institute for the Promotion of Arts and Sciences The Columbian Institute for the Promotion of Arts and Sciences (1816–1838) was a literary and science institution in Washington, D.C., founded by Dr. Edward Cutbush (1772–1843), a naval surgeon. Thomas Law had earlier suggested of such a socie ...
, which had among its members former Presidents Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams. Crawford also served as a Vice President in the
American Colonization Society The American Colonization Society (ACS), initially the Society for the Colonization of Free People of Color of America until 1837, was an American organization founded in 1816 by Robert Finley to encourage and support the migration of freebor ...
from its formation in 1817 to his death.


Family

Crawford was a descendant of John Crawford (1600–1676), who had come to
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...
in 1643 but participated and died in
Bacon's Rebellion Bacon's Rebellion was an armed rebellion held by Colony of Virginia, Virginia settlers that took place from 1676 to 1677. It was led by Nathaniel Bacon (Virginia colonist), Nathaniel Bacon against List of colonial governors of Virginia, Colon ...
. John's son David Crawford I (1625–1698), was the father of David Crawford II (1662–1762), and the grandfather of David Crawford III (1697–1766). David Crawford III married Ann Anderson in 1727 and had 13 children, including Joel Crawford (1736–1788). His cousin
George W. Crawford George Walker Crawford (December 22, 1798 – July 27, 1872) was a licensed lawyer, attorney turned politician from Columbia County, Georgia. Crawford was appointed attorney general for the state in 1827, by Governor of Georgia, Governor John For ...
served as Secretary of War under President
Zachary Taylor Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850) was an American military leader who served as the 12th president of the United States from 1849 until his death in 1850. Taylor was a career officer in the United States Army, rising to th ...
.


Legacy

In 1875, Crawford appeared on the 50 cent bill. The following places are named in his honor:


Cities and towns

*
Crawford, Georgia Crawford is a city in Oglethorpe County, Georgia, United States. The population was 832 at the 2010 census. History Crawford was originally called "Lexington Depot", and under the latter name had its start when the railroad was extended to that ...
*
Crawfordville, Georgia Crawfordville is a town in Taliaferro County, Georgia, United States. The population was 534 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Taliaferro County. History Crawfordville was founded in 1825 as the seat of the newly formed Taliafer ...
*
Crawfordsville, Indiana Crawfordsville is a city in Montgomery County in west central Indiana, United States, west by northwest of Indianapolis. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 16,306. The city is the county seat of Montgomery County, the only cha ...


Counties

*
Crawford County, Arkansas Crawford County is a County (United States), county located in the Ozarks region of the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, the population was 61,948, making it the 12th-most populous of Arkansas's 75 counti ...
*
Crawford County, Georgia Crawford County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,130. The county seat is Knoxville. Crawford County is included in the Macon, GA Metropolitan Statistical ...
*
Crawford County, Illinois Crawford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the population was 19,817. Its county seat is Robinson. History Crawford County was formed in the Illinois Territory on December 31, 1816, out of Edward ...
*
Crawford County, Indiana Crawford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 10,526. The county seat is English. Geography According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of , of which (or 99.00%) is land and ...
*
Crawford County, Iowa Crawford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,525. Its county seat is Denison. The county was named for William Harris Crawford, U.S. senator from Georgia and United States Secretar ...
*
Crawford County, Michigan Crawford County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 Census, the population was 12,988. The county seat is Grayling, Michigan, Grayling. History The county is named for C ...
*
Crawford County, Missouri Crawford County is a County (United States), county located in the east-central portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. At the 2010 United States Census, 2010 Census, the population was 24,696. Its county seat is Steelville, Missouri, Steelville. ...
*
Crawford County, Wisconsin Crawford County is a county in the southwest part of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,113. Its county seat is Prairie du Chien. History Along with Brown County, Crawford County is one of Wisconsin's or ...


Squares

* Crawford Square,
Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Br ...
SavannahBest.com's ‘’Squares of Savannah’‘
accessed June 16, 2007


References


Further reading

* * Garraty, John A. and Mark C. Carnes. ''American National Biography'', vol. 5, "Crawford, William Harris". New York : Oxford University Press, 1999. * * * * * * * * * *
*


External links


William Harris Crawford papers
Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA)

* ttp://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/topics/historical_markers/county/baldwin/troup-clarke-political-feud Troup-Clarke Political Feudhistorical marker , - , - , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Crawford, William H. 1772 births 1834 deaths 19th-century American diplomats 19th-century American politicians Ambassadors of the United States to France Democratic-Republican Party United States senators American duellists Georgia (U.S. state) Democratic-Republicans Georgia (U.S. state) state court judges Madison administration cabinet members Members of the Georgia House of Representatives Monroe administration cabinet members People from Nelson County, Virginia People from Lexington, Georgia Presidents pro tempore of the United States Senate Candidates in the 1824 United States presidential election United States Secretaries of the Treasury United States Secretaries of War United States senators from Georgia (U.S. state) American colonization movement