William Jackson (secretary) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Jackson
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Miniature of Major Jackson, 1793, unknown artist
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| Born | March 9, 1759 |
| Died | December 17, 1828 (aged 69) |
| Occupation | Military officer, Merchant, Lawyer, Secretary, Civil servant, Editor |
| Spouse(s) | Elizabeth Willing |
William Jackson (born March 9, 1759, died December 17, 1828) was an important person during the American Revolution. He is considered one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was the secretary for the Constitutional Convention in 1787, where the U.S. Constitution was created. He also fought bravely in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. After the war, he worked as a personal secretary for President George Washington.
Contents
Early Life and Military Service
Jackson was born in Cumberland, England. After his parents passed away, he was sent to Charleston, South Carolina. There, he was raised by a family friend named Owen Roberts. Roberts was a successful merchant and led a local militia group.
When the Revolutionary War began in 1775, Roberts joined the Patriot side, and young Jackson followed him. Roberts likely helped Jackson become a cadet in the 1st South Carolina Regiment. In May 1776, Jackson became a second lieutenant.
First Battles and Campaigns
Jackson first saw action near Charleston in June 1776. His regiment helped fight off a British attack on Fort Sullivan led by General Sir Henry Clinton. After this, his unit stayed in Charleston for a long time. During this period, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney took command of the 1st South Carolina.
In late 1777, Jackson joined a group that went on a difficult trip to attack St. Augustine in British East Florida. This trip, led by Major General Robert Howe, was a big failure. Many American soldiers got sick, but Jackson survived and returned to South Carolina in 1778.
Serving General Lincoln
After returning from Florida, the Southern regiments were placed under Major General Benjamin Lincoln. Pinckney convinced Lincoln that he needed an assistant who understood the Southern troops. Jackson was chosen for this job and was temporarily promoted to major.
As Lincoln's assistant, Jackson fought in the Battle of Stono Ferry and the Siege of Savannah in 1779. In 1780, General Lincoln surrendered his troops after the long siege of Charleston. As a captured officer, Jackson was sent to Philadelphia, which was then controlled by the British. After a few months, he was exchanged for a British prisoner and returned to the Continental Army.
Working with Washington and Laurens
Jackson was a skilled staff officer, meaning he was good at helping commanders. He was assigned to General Washington's staff. He worked as a secretary for John Laurens, who was one of Washington's main assistants. Laurens was the son of Henry Laurens of South Carolina.
In 1781, Laurens was sent to France to ask for a large loan for the American war effort. He took Thomas Paine and Jackson with him because Jackson spoke good French. In France, they met with French officials to get the money. They eventually met directly with the French king, who agreed to the loan. This money was very important for buying military supplies. Jackson then traveled to Holland to help with more purchases.
Jackson came back to the United States in February 1782. He became an assistant to Benjamin Lincoln, who was then the Secretary of War. Jackson helped solve a problem called the Pennsylvania Mutiny of 1783, where some soldiers were unhappy about their pay. In October 1783, he left his military job. He then worked for Robert Morris in England. When he returned the next year, he began studying law in Philadelphia.
Constitutional Convention Secretary
In 1787, while still a law student, Jackson wrote to George Washington asking to be the secretary for the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. On the first day of the Convention, May 25, 1787, Alexander Hamilton suggested Jackson for the job. The delegates chose him over William Temple Franklin, who was Benjamin Franklin's grandson.
As the Convention's secretary, Jackson had several important jobs. He had to keep the meetings a secret. He also kept the official notes of what happened. He signed the final document with "Attest William Jackson Secretary" to confirm that four small corrections had been made.
Jackson was then sent to the Congress of the Confederation in New York City with a copy of the new Constitution. He had the honor of reading it aloud to Congress on September 20, 1787, just days after it was signed.
Later Career and Public Service
In 1788, Major Jackson became a lawyer in Pennsylvania. He wanted to work for the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which was the best-paying legal work, but he had to wait two years. He also volunteered for a local military group.
He tried to become the secretary of the United States Senate, but someone else got the job. Then, when George Washington became President, Jackson applied to be his personal secretary. He wrote that he needed a job because he had unpaid expenses from his time as a military officer.
He worked as Washington's secretary until 1791. Then he left to restart his law practice. He also worked for William Bingham and Secretary of War Henry Knox, helping them sell large areas of land in Maine.
In the summer of 1795, Jackson returned to the United States. In November, he married Elizabeth Willing. She was the sister of Ann Willing Bingham and the daughter of Thomas Willing, a wealthy merchant from Philadelphia. In January 1796, President Washington, who had attended the wedding, appointed Jackson as the Collector for the Port of Philadelphia. This meant he was in charge of collecting taxes on goods coming into the port.
However, Thomas Jefferson, who also attended the wedding, removed Jackson from this job in 1801. Jefferson felt Jackson was using his position for political reasons. After this, Jackson started a Federalist newspaper in Philadelphia called the Political and Commercial Register. He edited this newspaper until 1815.
Society of the Cincinnati
In 1799, Jackson took over from Henry Knox as the secretary general of the Society of the Cincinnati. This group was made up of former officers from the Continental Army.
On behalf of the remaining officers from the war, he tried to convince Congress to give all veteran Revolutionary officers half-pay for the rest of their lives. This effort was not successful in 1818. Congress did pass such a bill in 1826, fifty years after independence, but Jackson was not directly involved with it then. His last public appearance was welcoming the Marquis de Lafayette to Philadelphia in 1824. Jackson remained the secretary general of the society until he passed away.
Death
William Jackson died on December 17, 1828, in Philadelphia, at the age of 69. He is buried in Christ Church Cemetery in Philadelphia, alongside his wife.
See also
- Samuel Osgood House — First Presidential Mansion.
- Alexander Macomb House — Second Presidential Mansion.
- President's House (Philadelphia) — Third Presidential Mansion.
