Isaac Johnson (politician)

Isaac Johnson
Isaac Johnson
	Isaac Edward Morse
Member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
Personal details
Born	November 1, 1803; near St. Francisville, Louisiana
Died	March 15, 1853 (aged 49); New Orleans, Louisiana
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Charlotte McDermott

Isaac Johnson (November 1, 1803 – March 15, 1853) was a US politician and the

12th Governor of the state of Louisiana

.

Born on his father's plantation "Troy" near

West Feliciana Parish, Johnson was the fourth son of John Hunter Johnson and Thenia Munson. Johnson's grandfather, Isaac Johnson, arrived in the area in the 1770s, and his father had a leading role in the West Florida Rebellion. Later he served as a British officer in Natchez, Mississippi

during the English occupation and was a lawyer, planter, parish sheriff and judge, finally settling at Fairview Plantation on Bayou Sara in Louisiana.

Johnson was taught by private tutors early and

Democratic politics and won a seat in the Louisiana House of Representatives

, serving only one term. In 1839, Johnson was appointed a judge in the 3rd Judicial Court.

Nominated by the Democratic Party to run for governor in 1846, Johnson competed against

Baton Rouge

and stressed the importance of public schools.

During his term, Governor Johnson was outspoken in his views: during the 1846–1848

U.S.-Mexican War Johnson put out a call for volunteers and had a confrontation with the Army Paymaster over maintenance of these volunteers. He announced that the United States should annex all of Mexico. On the expansion of slavery to new territories, Johnson was a champion of states' rights. He denounced the Wilmot Proviso to prohibit slavery in territories. One of the most important accomplishments during Johnson's administration was an act establishing the University of Louisiana

, a bill he signed in 1847.

Johnson's leadership was a disappointment to state Democratic leaders because he appointed Whigs to office and did not advance strict party disciplines. By 1848, he had fallen out of favor, and Democrats who supported home-state candidate Zachary Taylor helped carry the state for the Whigs in the 1848 presidential election.

In 1849, the state capitol was moved to Baton Rouge. The following year, Governor Johnson did not run for reelection. His successor, Joseph Marshall Walker, appointed him as Attorney General of Louisiana and he served until his death in 1853.

Johnson died of a heart attack at the Verandah Hotel in New Orleans on March 15 and was buried at Troy Plantation. Two of his sons died in the 1853 yellow fever epidemic later that year.

Sources

State of Louisiana - Biography
Cemetery Memorial by La-Cemeteries

Party political offices
Preceded by Alexandre Mouton	Governor of Louisiana 1846	Succeeded by Joseph Marshall Walker
Political offices
Preceded by Alexandre Mouton	Governor of Louisiana 1846–1850	Succeeded by Joseph M. Walker
Legal offices
Preceded by William Augustus Elmore	Attorney General of Louisiana 1850–1853	Succeeded by Isaac Edward Morse

v t e Governors of Louisiana
State (1812–1861)	Claiborne Villeré Robertson Thibodaux H. Johnson Derbigny Beauvais Dupré Roman White Roman Mouton I. Johnson Walker Hébert Wickliffe Moore
Confederate (1861–1865)	Moore H. Allen
Union (1862–1865)	Shepley Hahn
Reconstruction (1865–1868)	Wells Flanders Baker
State (since 1868)	Warmoth Pinchback J. McEnery Kellogg Packard Nicholls Wiltz S. McEnery Nicholls M. J. Foster Heard Blanchard Sanders Hall Pleasant Parker Fuqua Simpson H. Long King O. Allen Noe Leche E. Long Jones Davis E. Long Kennon E. Long Davis McKeithen E. Edwards Treen E. Edwards Roemer E. Edwards M. Foster Blanco Jindal J. Edwards Landry

Authority control databases
International	FAST VIAF
National	Germany United States
Other	SNAC