William Freame Johnston (November 29, 1808October 25, 1872) was the 11th governor of Pennsylvania, from 1848 to 1852. A lawyer by training, Johnston became district attorney of Westmoreland County at the age of 21 in 1829. He was elected to the Pennsylvania state legislature and switched from the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

to the Whig Party in 1847 to run for the Pennsylvania Senate. William F. Johnston was born on November 29, 1808, in

Greensburg, Pennsylvania Greensburg is a city in and the county seat of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States, and a part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The city lies within the Laurel Highlands and the ecoregion of the Western Allegheny Plateau. The city is ...

. His parents were Alexander Johnston, an Ulster Scots immigrant from

County Tyrone County Tyrone (; ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland. It is no longer used as an administrative division for local government but retai ...

and Elizabeth (Freame) Johnston, whose father was born in

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

. In 1832, Johnston married Mary Ann Montieth (1814–1898). The couple had five sons and two daughters. He was named Senate Speaker in 1848 and, upon the resignation of Governor Francis Shunk, assumed the position of governor. Although, because of the transition, Johnston could have delayed the scheduled October elections, he chose to let them proceed and was narrowly elected to the position as a Whig, defeating Democratic candidate Morris Longstreth by only 297 votes. Johnston fought the federal

Fugitive Slave Act A fugitive (or runaway) is a person who is fleeing from custody, whether it be from jail, a government arrest, government or non-government questioning, vigilante violence, or outraged private individuals. A fugitive from justice, also kno ...

and its enforcement in Pennsylvania. He lost re-election to Democrat William Bigler in 1851. In 1856 he was nominated by the northern, anti-slavery faction of the American Party for the office of Vice President, but was later induced to withdraw in favor of

William L. Dayton William Lewis Dayton (February 17, 1807 – December 1, 1864) was an American politician, active first in the Whig Party and later in the Republican Party. In the 1856 presidential election, he became the first Republican vice-presidential ...

, the

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

nominee. In 1864, in the midst of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

, Johnston refused to support the renomination of incumbent president

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

by the Republican Party, instead backing the splinter Radical Democracy Party and their campaign in favor of John C. Frémont, the Republican Party's presidential nominee in 1856 who was now campaigning on a platform calling for a more radical

reconstruction Reconstruction may refer to: Politics, history, and sociology *Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company *'' Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Unio ...

than Lincoln endorsed. Johnston would serve as the temporary convention president at the convention where Frémont would be nominated. John C. Waugh, ''Reelecting Lincoln: The Battle for the 1864 Presidency'' (Crown Publishers, 1997) pp. 178 Johnston Commons on Penn State University is named for the former governor. His father built and operated the

Kingston House The Kingston House, also known as the Johnston House, is an historic, American inn and tavern that is located in Unity Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. History and ...

Unity Township, Pennsylvania Unity Township is a township in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 21,724 at the 2020 census, a decline of approximately 4% compared to the 2010 census. The township is home tSaint Vincent Archabbey, College an ...

. ''Note:'' This includes It was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1983.

References

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Johnston, William F 1808 births 1872 deaths People from Greensburg, Pennsylvania American people of Scotch-Irish descent Pennsylvania Democrats Pennsylvania Whigs Governors of Pennsylvania Whig Party state governors of the United States 19th-century American politicians Pennsylvania Know Nothings Burials at Allegheny Cemetery