William Alexander Richardson

William Alexander Richardson (January 16, 1811 – December 27, 1875) was a prominent

Born near Lexington, Kentucky, Richardson came from a distinguished family. His maternal great-grandfather was a veteran of the American Revolutionary War participating in the Battle of Kings Mountain. His maternal grandfather fought in the War of 1812 and was killed in the Battle of Frenchtown.^[1] Richardson attended Transylvania University, and then proceeded to teach school and study law. He passed the bar exam in 1831 and started his practice in Shelbyville, Illinois. He served as an officer during the Black Hawk War whose soldiers remembered the "stern coarseness" of his leadership.^[2] He was an attorney for the state from 1834 to 1835, and was elected representative to the state house, serving from 1836 to 1838. Duirng this term Richardson served alongside Stephen Douglas and Abraham Lincoln.^[3]

In 1837 he supported Lincoln in making Springfield the capital of Illinois, after the charter for Vandalia expired.^[4] Richardson was a supporter of President Andrew Jackson against the Second Bank of the United States. At the state level he supported a bill that would make bank directors and stockholders responsible for redemption notes that citizens had with the state.^[5] When Governor Joseph Duncan defended the Bank, Richardson and other Democrats introduced a resolution calling such claims "contrary to the assertions of the patriot and statesmen, General Jackson."^[6]

He was narrowly elected to the

In congress Richardson was a loyal protege of Stephen Douglas. During the crisis of 1850, Richardson supported all five parts of the Compromise of 1850. Afterword, when confronted in Illinois about the unpopular Fugitive Slave Act, Richardson said that while he personally opposed the law he supported it in order to ensure the admission of California.^[11] That year he won reelection defeating Orville H. Browning.^[12]

After the

He died on December 27, 1875, in Quincy, Illinois, where he is buried.

Richardson County, Nebraska, is named after him.

References

Sources

1. "Richardson, William Alexander". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved January 10, 2006.
2. "Richardson, William Alexander". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved January 10, 2006.

• This article incorporates facts obtained from: Lawrence Kestenbaum, The Political Graveyard
•  This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

Further reading

• Harrington, Fred Harvey. “‘The First Northern Victory.’” The Journal of Southern History 5, no. 2 (1939): 186–205. online.
• Holt, Robert D. “The Political Career of William A. Richardson.” Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society (1908–1984) 26, no. 3 (1933): 222–69. online.
• Potter, David M. The Impending Crisis, 1848–1861 (1976), Pulitzer Prize-winning scholarly history.
• Shawn Hale. “A Copperhead in Quincy Goes to Washington: Senator William A. Richardson.” Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society (1998–) 109, no. 2 (2016): 180–205. online.