Browsing named entities in Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing). You can also browse the collection for William Jackson or search for William Jackson in all documents.

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Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Constitution of the United States (search)
vention assembled at the appointed time (May 14), but only one-half the States were then represented. The remainder did not all arrive before May 24. Washington, who was a delegate from Virginia, was chosen president of the convention, and William Jackson, one of his most intimate friends, was made secretary. Edmund Randolph, of Virginia, opened the proceedings by a carefully prepared speech, in which the defects of the existing Constitution were pointed out. At its conclusion he offered fif John Blair, James Madison, Jr. North Carolina. Wm. Blount, Hugh Williamson, Richd. Dobbs Spaight. South Carolina. J. Rutledge, Charles Pinckney, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, Pierce Butler. Georgia. William Few, Abr. Baldwin. Attest: William Jackson, Secretary. Amendments to the Constitution of the United States. The following amendments were proposed at the first session of the First Congress of the United States, which was begun and held at the city of New York on the 4th of Ma
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Crawford, William Harris 1772- (search)
Statesman; born in Amherst county, Va., Feb. 24, 1772; taught school several years and became a lawyer, beginning practice in Lexington, Ga., in 1799. He compiled the first digest of the laws of Georgia, published in 1802: was a member of his State legislature from 1803 to 1807; was United States Senator from 1807 to 1813, in which body he was regarded as its ablest member. In 1813 he was sent as United States minister to France, and on his return (1815) was appointed Secretary of War; but in October, 1816, he was transferred to the Treasury Department, which post he held until 1825, when he was defeated as Democratic candidate for the Presidency, having been nominated the previous year by a congressional caucus. He had four other candidates to oppose— Adams, Calhoun, Jackson, and Clay. At about that time his health failed, and he never fully recovered it. He became a circuit judge in Georgia, and was warmly opposed to nullification. He died near Elberton, Ga., Sept. 18, 183
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Credit Mobilier, (search)
nd excited the Indians to ravage the frontiers of those States. A peace was concluded with the Creeks by Washington in 1790; yet some of them joined the Cherokees in incursions into Tennessee in 1792. Another treaty was made in 1796, and in 1802 they began to cede lands in the United States. But when the War of 1812 broke out they joined their old friends, the English; and by an awful massacre at Fort Mims, in August, 1813, they aroused the Western people to vengeance. Troops led by General Jackson and others entered the Creek country; and in 1813 they ravaged the finest portion of it, destroyed the towns, slew or captured 2,000 Creek warriors, thoroughly subdued them, and, in fact, destroyed the nation. Their last stand against the United States troops was made at Horseshoe Bend in March, 1814. Some of them had already settled in Louisiana, and finally in Texas, where they remained until 1872, when Fort Mims (from an old print). the government took steps to reunite the nation
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Crockett, David 1786- (search)
Crockett, David 1786- Pioneer; born in Limestone, Greene co., Tenn., Aug. 17, 1786. With little education, he became a noted hunter in his early life; served under Jackson in the Creek War; was a member of Congress from 1828 to 1834, and removed to Texas in the latter year, where he became zealously engaged in the war for Texan independence. While fighting for the defence of the Alamo (q. v.) he was captured and put to death by order of Santa Ana, March 6, 1836.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Cross Keys, action at (search)
t of the Confederates. For this purpose McDowell sent a force over the Blue Ridge, to intercept them if they should retreat, and Fremont pressed on from the west towards Strasburg with the same object in view. Perceiving the threatened danger, Jackson fled up the valley with his whole force, hotly pursued by the Nationals, and at Cross Keys, beyond Harrisonburg, Fremont overtook Ewell, when a sharp but indecisive battle occurred. Ewell had about 5,000 men, strongly posted. There he was attaur o'clock the whole National line was ordered to fall back at the moment when Milroy had pierced Ewell's centre, and was almost up to his guns. Milroy obeyed the order, but with great reluctance, for he felt sure of victory. The Confederates occupied the battle-field that night, and the Nationals rested within their first line until morning, when Ewell was called to aid Jackson beyond the Shenandoah River. The National loss in the battle was 664, of which two-thirds fell in Stahl's brigade.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Curtis, George William 1824- (search)
r under Madison and the fusion of parties under Monroe, but which swelled again into a furious torrent as the later parties took form. John Quincy Adams adhered, with the tough tenacity of his father's son, to the best principles of all his predecessors. He followed Washington, and observed the spirit of the Constitution in refusing to remove for ally reason but official misconduct or incapacity. But he knew well what was coming, and with characteristically stinging sarcasm he called General Jackson's inaugural address a threat of reform. With Jackson's administration in 1830 the deluge of the spoils system burst over our national politics. Sixteen years later, Mr. Buchanan said, in a public speech, that General Taylor would be faithless to the Whig party if he did not proscribe Democrats. So high the deluge had risen which has ravaged and wasted our politics ever since, and the danger will be stayed only when every President, leaning upon the law, shall stand fast where John Qu
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Federal convention, the. (search)
ves of twelve States assembled in convention at Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 to prepare a constitution of government for the United States of a national character. George Washington, a delegate from Virginia, was chosen president, and William Jackson, secretary. The convention was composed of some of the most illustrious citizens of the new republic. There was the aged Franklin, past eighty-one years of age, who had sat in a similar convention at Albany (q. v.) in 1754. John Dickinso, William Pierce, George Walton, William Houston, and Nathaniel Pendleton. Fac-similes of the signatures of the signers of the Constitution, copied from the original in the archives of the national government, are given on preceding pages. William Jackson was secretary. A committee was appointed to report rules of proceeding by the convention. They copied them chiefly from those of Congress, and their report was adopted. Each State was to have one vote; seven States were to constitute a
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Jackson, William 1759-1828 (search)
Jackson, William 1759-1828 Military officer; born in Cumberland, England, March 9, 1759; was taken to Charleston, S. C., an orphan, at an early age; at the breaking out of the Revolutionary War he entered the military service. He finally became aide to General Lincoln, and was made a prisoner at Charleston in 1780. He was secretary to Col. John Laurens, special minister to France, and was in Washington's military family as aide, with the rank of major. Jackson was assistant Secretary ofCol. John Laurens, special minister to France, and was in Washington's military family as aide, with the rank of major. Jackson was assistant Secretary of War under Washington, and was secretary to the convention that framed the national Constitution in 1787. From 1789 to 1792 he was aide and private secretary to President Washington; from 1796 to 1801 was surveyor of the port of Philadelphia, and was secretary to the General Society of the Cincinnati. He died in Philadelphia, Dec. 17, 1828.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Jackson and St. Philip, forts (search)
Jackson and St. Philip, forts Two fortifications on the Mississippi River, 57 miles southeast of New Orleans, which command the lower approach to that city. Both were strongly fortified by the Confederates in the early part of the Civil War, and were passed by the fleet under Farragut, April 24, 1862. Grave of Thomas J. Jackson. Although Farragut had passed these forts, and the Confederate flotilla had been destroyed, the fortifications were still firmly held. The mortar-fleet under Porter was below them. General Butler, who had accompanied the gunboats on their perilous passage on the Saxon, had returned to his transports, and in small boats his troops, under the general pilotage of Gen. Godfrey Weitzel, passed through bayous to the rear of Fort St. Philip. When he was prepared to assail it, the garrison was surrendered without Forts Jackson and St. Philip and environs. resistance (April 28), for they had heard of the destruction of the Confederate flotilla. The co