| Thomas Williams was born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, to parents of
Welsh descent. In 1825, he graduated from Dickinson College, then began to study law under
the tutelage of two judges, Richard Coulter and John Kennedy. In reaction to President
Andrew Jackson’s bank policies, Williams became active in Whig party politics,
editing their organ, The Advocate, and winning a seat in the state senate in 1838. After
reelection, he worked on the presidential campaign of William Henry Harrison. Eloquent
passages from Williams’ eulogy for President Harrison became part of school
declamations across the nation. Williams retired from politics to become one of
Pennsylvania’s leading lawyers. During the crisis years of the 1850s, he returned
to politics as a Republican, representing his state on the new party’s national
committee. In 1860, he was elected to Pennsylvania’s lower house and in 1862 to
Congress. A member of the House Judiciary Committee, Williams was one of seven members
chosen by the House of Representatives to prosecute its impeachment charges against
President Andrew Johnson during the removal trial in the Senate. Williams supported
moderate Republican policies during Reconstruction. He died in Allegheny City,
Pennsylvania.
Robert C. Kennedy, HarpWeek
Source consulted: Dictionary of American Biography |
|
Thomas Williams
(28 August 1806 - 6 June 1872)
Source: Harper's Weekly
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