Cave Johnson
Cave Johnson | |
---|---|
![]() | |
12th United States Postmaster General | |
In office March 6, 1845 – March 4, 1849 | |
President | James K. Polk |
Preceded by | Charles A. Wickliffe |
Succeeded by | Jacob Collamer |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's 9th district | |
In office March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1845 | |
Preceded by | Harvey Watterson |
Succeeded by | Lucien Chase |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's 11th district | |
In office March 4, 1839 – March 3, 1843 | |
Preceded by | Richard Cheatham |
Succeeded by | Milton Brown |
In office March 4, 1833 – March 3, 1837 | |
Preceded by | Constituency established |
Succeeded by | Richard Cheatham |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's 8th district | |
In office March 4, 1829 – March 3, 1833 | |
Preceded by | John Hartwell Marable |
Succeeded by | David W. Dickinson |
Personal details | |
Born | Robertson County, Tennessee, U.S. | January 11, 1793
Died | November 23, 1866 Clarksville, Tennessee, U.S. | (aged 73)
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Elizabeth Dortch Brunson |
Education | Cumberland University |
Cave Johnson (January 11, 1793 – November 23, 1866) was for fourteen years a Democratic U.S. Congressman from Tennessee.
Biography
He acted as one of the campaign managers for presidential candidate James K. Polk at both the Democratic party convention and for the general election. After his victory Polk appointed him United States Postmaster General, a post in which he served from 1845–1849. He was born in Robertson County, Tennessee, and died in Clarksville, Tennessee.[1]
During his tenure as United States Postmaster General he shifted the department from a collect on delivery postage delivery system to a prepaid postal delivery system by introducing the postage stamp in 1847. He is also credited with introducing street corner mail boxes in urban areas. He later served as president of the Third Bank of Tennessee from 1854 to 1860. He owned slaves.[2]He was the maternal uncle of Lt. Col. Cave Johnson Couts of California
References
- ^ John, Pinheiro. "Cave Johnson (1845–1849): Postmaster General". American President: An Online Reference Resource. University of Virginia. Archived from the original on 17 December 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
- ^ "Congress slaveowners", The Washington Post, 2022-01-13, retrieved 2022-07-07
External links
- United States Congress. "Cave Johnson (id: J000122)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- Cave Johnson at Find a Grave
- Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library, Emory University: Cave Johnson papers, 1833-1948
- 1793 births
- 1866 deaths
- People from Robertson County, Tennessee
- American people of Scotch-Irish descent
- Polk administration cabinet members
- United States Postmasters General
- Jacksonian members of the United States House of Representatives from Tennessee
- Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Tennessee
- American bankers
- American slave owners
- Cumberland University alumni
- Tennessee politician stubs