John Williams (March 14, 1731 – October 10, 1799) was a

Founding Father of the United States The Founding Fathers of the United States, known simply as the Founding Fathers or Founders, were a group of late-18th-century American revolutionary leaders who united the Thirteen Colonies, oversaw the war for independence from Great Britai ...

and signer of its Articles of Confederation. He was one of the founders of the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC Sy ...

. During the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, Williams was a colonel in the North Carolina militia. In 1777 and 1778, he was a member of the

North Carolina House of Commons The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the North Ca ...

and served as

speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...

. Williams was a member of the Continental Congress in 1778 and 1779. Willams served as a superior court judge both during the colonial era and after the new state of

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

was established in 1776. Sitting alongside other superior court judges as part of a Court of Conference (forerunner to the

North Carolina Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the State of North Carolina is the state of North Carolina's highest appellate court. Until the creation of the North Carolina Court of Appeals in the 1960s, it was the state's only appellate court. The Supreme Court consists ...

), Williams heard the landmark case, '' Bayard v. Singleton'', which announced the principle of

judicial review Judicial review is a process under which executive, legislative and administrative actions are subject to review by the judiciary. A court with authority for judicial review may invalidate laws, acts and governmental actions that are incomp ...

on the state level before ''

Marbury v. Madison ''Marbury v. Madison'', 5 U.S. (1 Cranch) 137 (1803), was a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case that established the principle of judicial review in the United States, meaning that American courts have the power to strike down laws and statutes t ...

'' did so on the federal level.

Family and political career

Williams was born on March 14, 1731, in

Hanover County, Virginia Hanover County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 109,979. Its county seat is Hanover Courthouse. Hanover County is a part of the Greater Richmond Region. History Located in the wester ...

, the son of John Williams Sr and Mary Keeling. He married Mary Womack. They had 6 children, John Williams III, William Williams and Mary (Williams) Farra, Charles, William, Nathaniel who married Elizabeth Keeling, half-sister to the mother of

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

, and Agatha who married Col. Robert Burton of

Granville County, North Carolina Granville County is a county located on the northern border of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 60,992. Its county seat is Oxford. Granville County encompasses Oxford, NC Micropolitan Statistical Ar ...

Revolutionary War

Williams was commissioned on September 9, 1775, as a lieutenant colonel under Col. James Thackston in the Orange County Minutemen Regiment. Both men participated in the

Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge The Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge was a minor conflict of the American Revolutionary War fought near Wilmington (present-day Pender County), North Carolina, on February 27, 1776. The victory of the North Carolina Provincial Congress' militia ...

on February 27, 1776. All minutemen regiments were disbanded on April 10, 1776. He was a colonel and commandant of the 9th North Carolina Regiment of the

North Carolina Line The North Carolina Line refers to North Carolina units within the Continental Army. The term "North Carolina Line" referred to the quota of infantry regiments assigned to North Carolina at various times by the Continental Congress. These, together ...

from 1776 to 1778.

Death and legacy

Williams died on October 10, 1799. The town of Williamsboro, North Carolina, for which he donated the land, is named for Williams. Williams was a first cousin and law partner of Judge Richard Henderson.

Notes

External links

* * Samuel A. Ashe, ed., Biographical History of North Carolina, vol. 3 (1905). * 1731 births 1799 deaths Continental Congressmen from North Carolina 18th-century American politicians Signers of the Articles of Confederation Members of the North Carolina House of Representatives North Carolina state court judges People from Vance County, North Carolina Continental Army officers from North Carolina Founding Fathers of the United States {{NorthCarolina-politician-stub