Richard M. Johnson

Richard Mentor Johnson was a Kentucky lawyer, soldier, congressman, senator, and the ninth Vice President of the United States. He spent more than three decades in public life and became nationally known for his service during the War of 1812, particularly his participation in the Battle of the Thames. Johnson was elected vice president under Martin Van Buren after the Electoral College failed to give him a majority, making him the only vice president chosen by the Senate under the Twelfth Amendment.

Johnson was born on October 17, 1780, near present-day Louisville, Kentucky, then part of Virginia's western territory. His father, Robert Johnson, was a prominent Kentucky landowner and politician, while his mother, Jemima Suggett Johnson, came from a prosperous family. Johnson studied at Transylvania University and read law before establishing a legal practice in Kentucky. He never married, but maintained a long-term relationship with Julia Chinn, an enslaved woman of mixed African and European ancestry, with whom he had two daughters.

Johnson entered politics as a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives and was elected to the U.S. House in 1806. He became associated with the Democratic-Republicans and supported policies favoring western settlement and military preparedness. During the War of 1812 he served as a colonel in the Kentucky militia and fought at the Battle of the Thames in October 1813, where British commander Tecumseh was killed; Johnson subsequently became celebrated by supporters for allegedly having personally killed Tecumseh, although historians have not established the claim conclusively.

Johnson served multiple terms in the House and later represented Kentucky in the U.S. Senate. He became a prominent supporter of Andrew Jackson and aligned himself with the emerging Democratic Party. In 1836 Martin Van Buren selected Johnson as his vice-presidential running mate, but the ticket's electoral votes were divided among Johnson and other candidates, leaving Johnson without a majority. Under the Twelfth Amendment, the Senate elected Johnson vice president by a vote of 33 to 16. His four-year term was marked by political difficulties, and the Democratic Party dropped him from the national ticket in 1840.

Johnson returned to Kentucky after leaving the vice presidency and resumed his political career, serving again in the Kentucky legislature and remaining active in public affairs. He never returned to national office and experienced significant financial difficulties during his later years. Johnson died in Frankfort, Kentucky, on November 19, 1850, at the age of seventy.

Johnson's legacy is particularly associated with his War of 1812 service, his unusual election to the vice presidency, and his complicated personal life in the context of slavery and interracial relationships. His election demonstrates the constitutional mechanism under which the Senate could choose a vice president when no candidate received a majority of electoral votes. His association with the death of Tecumseh also became an important part of his political image, even though the historical circumstances remain disputed.