Richard Mentor Johnson

Richard Mentor Johnson ( * October 17, 1780 in Louisville, Kentucky, † November 19, 1850 in Frankfort, Kentucky ) was an American politician and from 1837 to 1841, the ninth Vice President of the United States and a member of both chambers of the U.S. Congress.

Early years

Johnson attended the local schools of his home and then the Transylvania University in Lexington. After studying law he was admitted in 1802 as a lawyer. After that he began in Great Crossings to work in his new profession. Between 1804 and 1806, and again in 1819, he was a member of the House of Representatives from Kentucky.

Political career in Congress

Between 1807 and 1819 he represented his state in the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington. There he was at times Chairman of the Committee, which dealt with claims against the State ( Committee on Claims ), and member of a committee which oversaw the expenditure of the War Department. During the British - American War of 1812 he commanded as colonel of a regiment, which operated in Canada in 1813. Following the resignation of John J. Crittenden by the Office of U.S. Senator Johnson was appointed to succeed him as a Class 2 senator. After a successful re-election he was able to remain between 10 December 1819 and the March 3, 1829 in the Senate. In 1828, but then he missed an intended re-election. There, George M. Bibb became his successor. In the Senate he was chairman of the Postal Committee ( Committee on Post Office and Post Roads ). After being voted out of the Senate Johnson managed again to move into the U.S. House of Representatives. There, he served 1829-1837. He was also temporarily Chairman of the Postal Committee and member of the Military Committee.

Vice President of the United States

For the presidential election in 1836 he was appointed as Democratic candidate for the office of U.S. Vice President. This office he stepped on 4 March 1837, and was thus part of the government of the new president Martin Van Buren. Richard Johnson was the only vice president who had to be elected by the Senate, because he had not received a majority in the Electoral College in the presidential election. His tenure ended after he was not nominated for presidential election in 1840 by his party for re-election. He retired as scheduled on March 4, 1841 from office.

In 1850, Johnson was sitting in the House of Representatives from Kentucky. He died in November of the same year in Frankfort and was also buried there.