William H. Crawford

American politician and judge (1772-1834)

William Harris Crawford (February 24, 1772September 15, 1834) was an important American politician and judge during the early 19th century.[1] He served as United States Secretary of War from 1815 to 1816 and United States Secretary of the Treasury from 1816 to 1825, and was a candidate for President of the United States in 1824.

William Harris Crawford
9th United States Secretary of War
In office
August 1, 1815 – October 22, 1816
PresidentJames Madison
Preceded byJames Monroe
Succeeded byJohn C. Calhoun
7th United States Secretary of the Treasury
In office
October 22, 1816 – March 6, 1825
PresidentJames Madison (1816-1817)
James Monroe (1817-1825)
Preceded byAlexander J. Dallas
Succeeded byRichard Rush
Personal details
Born(1772-02-24)February 24, 1772
Amherst County, Virginia, U.S.
DiedSeptember 15, 1834(1834-09-15) (aged 62)
Crawford, Georgia, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic-Republican
ProfessionLawyer, Politician, Judge, Farmer, Teacher

Legacy change

In 1875, Crawford appeared on the 50 cent bill.

The town of Crawfordsville, Indiana, as well as Crawford County, Illinois; Crawford County, Iowa; Crawford County, Missouri; Crawford County, Arkansas; Crawford County, Wisconsin; Crawfordville, Georgia; and Crawford County, Georgia, are named for Crawford.

References change

  1. "William Harris Crawford (1772-1834)". New Georgia Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2020-11-07. In 1804 he married a former pupil, Susanna Gerardin, soon after purchasing his Woodlawn estate in Lexington. They had nine children; their son Nathaniel would become a mathematics professor at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta and the president of Mercer University in Macon. William Crawford aspired to live the life of a country gentleman, but he would not get the chance to do so until the end of his career. In the meantime he gradually added to his landholdings at Woodlawn and became the overseer of a good-sized plantation. By 1834 he owned 1,300 acres and enslaved forty-five people.