october november ninth vice president united_states serving administration vice president elected united_states senate provisions twelfth amendment johnson represented kentucky senate began ended political career johnson elected allied fellow member faction favored war britain outset war johnson commissioned colonel kentucky militia commanded regiment mounted volunteers brother james served johnson participated reported personally killed chief later political advantage war johnson returned house_of_representatives legislature appointed senate fill seat vacated prominence grew relationship slave widely criticized worked political ambitions unlike upper class leaders african american mentioned johnson openly treated common law wife acknowledged daughters children giving surname constituents relationship believed led loss senate seat congressional district returned house year johnson democratic nominee vice president ticket campaigning slogan colonel johnson killed johnson fell short electoral votes needed secure election virginia delegation went state popular vote refused endorse johnson elected office senate dominated democrats johnson proved liability democrats election refused vice president campaigned running mate lost whig johnson tried return public office defeated finally elected died november weeks term early life education born october fifth robert johnson children time family living newly founded settlement near present day louisville kentucky kentucky virginia organized admitted state moved station future lexington johnson mother considered heroic women community actions raid station august according tradition forces surrounded fort occupants discovered water inside withstand siege indians concealed near spring outside fort reasoned indians stay hidden attacked approved plan women collect water spring usual men disapproved plan fearing women attacked killed faced option finally agreed shortly sunrise women went spring returned incident long returned attack began indian warriors set fire houses stables favorable wind kept fires spreading children water drawn women fires arrow landed baby sister help arrived lexington station indians retreated johnson family great crossing johnson purchased acres large portion acre land grant area surveyor successful chosen land purchases early region huge land grants son begin formal education age schools frontier entered lexington kentucky studying law reading law legal apprentice professors law university addition private practice customary way young men enter law johnson brothers notable careers eldest went shipping lines younger brother minister prominent 19th century movement protestant congregations career johnson admitted kentucky bar opened office great crossing later owned retail store pursued number business ventures brothers johnson worked pro poor people cases merit opened home disabled veterans marriage family family tradition holds johnson broke early marital engagement sixteen years old mother disapproval johnson vowed revenge mother interference despite fact engagement broken daughter named born raised johnson family later married men served johnson regiment battle thames father died inherited slave eighth african seven european ancestry johnson began long term relationship treated common law wife prohibited marrying slave johnson away kentucky plantation authorized manage business affairs died epidemic cholera summer johnson great grief johnson daughters johnson acknowledged gave surname provided education daughters married white men johnson gave large farms holdings confusion children account said son said childless disagreement year death writes died cholera epidemic wrote died library congress notes died february johnson treated daughters according surviving prevented estate time death court noted illegitimate rights case johnson death found left widow children father mother living divided estate living brothers john henry account written says son nephew family acquired johnson remaining land death mean brothers settled property son husband daniel johnson nephew unusual white families extend branch family time wife death johnson began intimate relationship family slave left man johnson picked sold auction afterward began similar relationship sister slave political career johnson entered politics elected represent kentucky house representatives years old kentucky constitution imposed age requirement members house_of_representatives johnson popular raised questions age allowed seat placed tenure supported legislation protect settlers land january delivered address condemning conspiracy johnson elected democratic republican united_states house_of_representatives time election august meet constitution age requirement service house time congressional session began following march met required age elected served consecutive terms represented kentucky secured kentucky large seats house represented kentucky district continued represent interests poor member house came national attention opposition johnson served chairman committee charged financial claims veterans revolutionary war sought influence committee grant claim widow wages hamilton declined serving george_washington hamilton champion rival johnson compassion hamilton widow end term secured payment wages war war popular kentucky depended sea trade port new_orleans feared british stir indian war election johnson war hawks group legislators war british congress declared war june johnson returned kentucky recruit volunteers men responded chose horses raised body mounted rifles johnson recruited men divided companies elected major merged battalion forming regiment men johnson colonel johnson force originally intended join general detroit hull surrendered detroit august army captured johnson reported territorial governor indiana command entire northwest frontier ordered relieve northeast territory attacked indians september johnson men reached time save turned indian ambush returned kentucky disbanded going way burn villages johnson returned seat congress late fall based experience proposed plan defeat mobile guerrilla warfare indians american troops moved slowly dependent supply line indians evade battle raid supplies american forces withdrew overrun mounted quickly carry supplies live woods attacked indian villages winter indians compelled stand fight supplies wage war decisively defeated johnson submitted plan president secretary war approved principle referred plan harrison found winter operations johnson permitted try tactics summer later conducted indian wars winter strategy johnson left washington congress raised thousand men nominally militia brigade kentucky governor largely operating independently disciplined men required man arms prime condition ready hand hired doctors expense devised new tactical system group men encountered enemy cover hold enemy place groups contact ride sound firing surrounding enemy got september johnson raided northwest burning war supply centers indian villages surrounding indian fighting units scattering killing indian warriors time september perry destroyed british fleet battle lake taking control lake british army fort supply threatened cut rest canada landing east british general withdrew northeast followed harrison advanced michigan johnson kept indians engaged indian tribe hired mercenaries covered british retreat countered johnson called raid taken post british distributed arms money hired indians johnson cavalry defeated main force september took british supply trains october factors inducing stand fight battle thames october demanding battle johnson forces attack battalion men johnson elder brother engaged british force regulars simultaneously somewhat smaller battalion attacked indians led tree cover british effective quarters regulars killed captured indians harder fight main field battle edge adjacent swamp eventually ordered suicide squad men ride forward draw indians fire planning charge rest ground indian position support cavalry johnson order men hold infantry came eventually broke fled swamp point fight slain credited later killing personally indian reports killed man horseback johnson mounted men battle men infantry furthermore johnson wounded times shot shoulder indian chief advancing johnson shot killed indian instantly single pistol shot nineteenth century source asserts body found near johnson hat shot horseback wounded johnson usual load pistol ball johnson fell unconscious duel dragged battlefield addition wounds bullets hit horse gear war northwest organized resistance presence canada harrison withdrew detroit supply problems canadians feed men johnson eventually recovered crippled hand suffering wounds returned house february april act congress requested president united_states present johnson sword honor daring distinguished battle thames johnson military officers presented sword act congress prior american_civil_war august british forces attacked washington burned white_house congress formed committee investigate circumstances allowed washington captured johnson chaired committee delivered final report washington tide battle turned british treaty ended war johnson prepared return kentucky raise military unit end war turned legislative attention issues securing funding internal improvements west post war career house johnson believed congressional business slow tedious system compensation encouraged delays members remedy sponsored compensation act measure proposed paying annual salaries days body session time effect increasing total compensation johnson noted pay increase years salaries employed government johnson bill provided congressman absent salary reduced bill passed house senate quickly law march measure proved extremely unpopular voters applied current congress legislators supported bill lost congressional seats result including johnson colleague kentucky johnson popularity matters helped retain seat days session support law repealed session place legislators passed increase salary president choice secretary war declined office johnson declined serve post ultimately went result johnson chair considerable influence defense policy fifteenth congress congress investigated general execution british subjects johnson chaired inquiry committee majority committee favored negative report jackson johnson jackson supporter drafted counter report favorable jackson opposed ensuing debate pitted johnson fellow johnson report prevailed jackson spared disagreement johnson clay marked beginning political separation lasted duration careers approved expedition build military outpost near present site johnson awarded contract brother james ultimate failure expensive escaped political ill home district venture seen endeavor frontier senator johnson announced intent retire house early december state legislature elect replacement outgoing senator johnson lost election votes despite fact officially declared candidacy reported local newspapers johnson friends intended nominate governor election johnson term house expired march august returned state legislature helped secure passage law abolished imprisonment kentucky december resigned post state legislature fill senate seat vacated resignation elected term total senate tenure ran december march introduced legislation later washington inflation war establishment times paper currency took form banks johnson like caught ensuing financial collapse took strong politically popular struggle debt relief form bankruptcy legislation called relief war help problems neighbors johnson campaign relief abolition practice debt imprisonment nationwide nearly years goal accomplished spoke issue senate december introducing bill end practice pointing positive effects cessation effected home state bill failed johnson persisted introducing year passed senate late acted house passed senate second time house failed act measure died years owing johnson exit senate year known securing government contracts brothers friends offered land establish school devoted european american education indians southeast tribes built farm ran conflict interest standards day colleagues considered actions questionable johnson paid school federal government gave portion promoted european american students attended academy including nephew arkansas pet project johnson supported prompted friendship proposed earth hollow johnson proposed senate government fund expedition center earth proposal defeated receiving votes house senate combined johnson served chairman post roads nineteenth near end term senate asked congress prevent handling delivery mail sunday violated biblical principles working petitions referred johnson committee response johnson practicing baptist drafted report commonly referred report presented congress january johnson argued government civil religious institution particular report applauded elegant defense doctrine separation church state johnson criticized conflict interest defense friends contracted haul mail suffered financially banning sunday deliveries johnson unsuccessful candidate election owing relationship slave lived common law marriage members district little bothered arrangement state defense johnson said unlike jefferson clay married wife eyes god apparently found objections note named men suspected known similar relationships slave women according people objected johnson trying introduce daughters society people having relationships slave women expected deny return house failed election bid johnson returned house representing kentucky fifth district second served chairman post roads capacity asked address question sunday mail delivery drew second report largely similar content arguing legislation preventing mail delivery sunday report commonly called col johnson second sunday mail report delivered congress march contemporaries doubted johnson authorship second report claimed instead written claimed seen report drafted said altered words speculated author reverend historian concludes reason doubt johnson authored report johnson chaired second fourth beginning arose public support johnson pet project ending debt imprisonment subject began appear frequently president jackson addresses legislature johnson chaired house committee report subject delivered committee report january later year bill practice debt imprisonment passed houses congress signed law july johnson stands won widespread popularity endorsement presidency johnson abandoned campaign announced seek second term began campaigning jackson running mate jackson favored instead johnson finished distant vice presidential receiving votes kentucky indiana illinois persuade withdraw election election johnson continued campaign vice presidency available endorsed new_york labor leader march days jackson inaugurated moore praised devotion freedom religion opposition imprisonment debt boston printer published biography johnson new_york dated july kentucky followed play entitled battle thames poem honor johnson johnson friends supporters encouraged run president jackson supported vice president office johnson accepted choice worked gain nomination vice president poem provided line johnson campaign slogan colonel johnson killed jackson supported johnson vice president thinking war hero balance ticket served war jackson decision based johnson loyalty president anger primary rival despite jackson support party far united johnson preferred running mate letter jackson justice doubted lucky random shot hit man vice presidency johnson death related johnson open relationship slave baltimore held thirds rule largely demonstrate wide popularity nominated unanimously johnson barely obtained necessary thirds vote motion change rule obtained bare majority thirds tennessee delegation attend convention happened baltimore picked cast votes states endorse senator new_york prevailed vote johnson giving twice votes cast nomination jackson faith johnson balance ticket proved general election johnson cost democrats votes south relationship particularly unpopular failed garner support west supposed strong reputation indian fighter war hero failed deliver home state kentucky democrats regardless democrats won popular vote electoral vote counted congress february found received votes president johnson received vice president virginia elected pledged johnson state refused vote johnson leaving electoral vote short majority time senate charged vice president provisions twelfth amendment vote divided strictly party lines johnson vice president vote opposed whig senators absent vice presidency johnson served vice president march march term largely enjoyed little influence president penchant wielding power interests lobbied senate promote owed favor position indian agent requested presentation abolitionist petition senate johnson declined request presiding officer senate johnson called cast tie breaking vote fourteen times predecessors save despite precedent set predecessors johnson addressed senate occasion tie breaking vote explain vote article kentucky gazette financial panic johnson took month leave absence returned home kentucky opened tavern spa farm offset continued financial problems visiting establishment wrote president found johnson happy pursuit tavern keeping giving personal chicken egg purchasing water selling department later political career known wearing bright red vest tie adopted dress term vice president mail contractor known dress passed tailor shop displayed bright red cloth window johnson suggested wear red vest mail coaches owned operated red agreed johnson men ordered red known attire rest lives election clear johnson liability democratic ticket president jackson conceded johnson dead weight threw support president stood election countered reluctant drop johnson ticket fearing dropping democrats war hero split party cost votes harrison unique compromise ensued refusing nominate johnson candidate vice president idea allow states choose candidates return question senate elected clear winner vice presidential race lack confidence peers johnson continued campaign retain office campaign vigorous behavior campaign trail raised concern voters speeches speech ohio raised shirt order display crowd wounds received charges leveled harrison cleveland poorly received touched riot city end johnson received electoral votes virginia south_carolina voted president selected johnson vice president johnson lost home state kentucky added embarrassment losing home district later life death term vice president johnson returned kentucky tend farm oversee tavern represented kentucky house served interred cemetery johnson gave return public service ran unsuccessful campaign briefly sought party nomination president ran independent candidate governor kentucky talking democratic candidate replaced ticket johnson decided drop speculated real object campaign secure nomination vice presidency hope denied johnson finally returned elected office elected time physical mental health failing november reported col attack renders totally unfit business painful floor attempting discharge duties member incapable properly exercising physical mental powers died stroke november weeks term interred cemetery kentucky ruling surviving daughter illegitimate split estate brothers john henry legacy counties states bear johnson illinois iowa kentucky missouri nebraska namesake indiana political prominence led family dynasty brothers james nephew elected house_of_representatives kentucky robert arkansas robert later elected senator civil war representation media johnson daughters featured characters alternate history novels rivers war arkansas war
Richard Mentor Johnson