James A. Johnson (politician)
Encyclopedia
James Augustus Johnson was a U.S. Representative
from California
who went on to serve as the state's 14th Lieutenant Governor
.
. When we was quite young he moved with his parents to Arkansas
where he attended the common schools. He moved to California in 1853. He studied medicine and was graduated from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. He then studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1859, then commenced the practice of law in Downieville, California
.
in 1859 and 1860, representing Sierra County
. He was elected as a Democrat
to the U.S. House of Representatives for the Fortieth and Forty-first U.S. Congresses, serving from March 4, 1867 until March 3, 1871. He served as Lieutenant Governor of California from 1875 until 1880. After leaving office he moved to San Francisco
. He served as registrar of voters in 1883 and 1884.
.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
who went on to serve as the state's 14th Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of California
The Lieutenant Governor of California is a statewide constitutional officer elected separately from the Governor who serves as the "vice-executive" of California. The Lieutenant Governor of California is elected to serve a four year term and can serve a maximum of two terms...
.
Early life
Johnson was born in Spartanburg, South CarolinaSpartanburg, South Carolina
thgSpartanburg is the largest city in and the county seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. It is the second-largest city of the three primary cities in the Upstate region of South Carolina, and is located northwest of Columbia, west of Charlotte, and about northeast of...
. When we was quite young he moved with his parents to Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
where he attended the common schools. He moved to California in 1853. He studied medicine and was graduated from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. He then studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1859, then commenced the practice of law in Downieville, California
Downieville, California
Downieville is a census-designated place in and the county seat of Sierra County, California, United States. Downieville sits at an elevation of...
.
Political career
Johnson served as a member of the California State AssemblyCalifornia State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
in 1859 and 1860, representing Sierra County
Sierra County, California
Sierra County is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of the U.S. state of California, northeast of Sacramento on the border with Nevada. As of the 2010 census the population was 3,240, down from 3,555 at the 2000 census. The county seat is Downieville....
. He was elected as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
to the U.S. House of Representatives for the Fortieth and Forty-first U.S. Congresses, serving from March 4, 1867 until March 3, 1871. He served as Lieutenant Governor of California from 1875 until 1880. After leaving office he moved to San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. He served as registrar of voters in 1883 and 1884.
Death
He continued practicing law until his death in San Francisco at age 66. He was interred in the Masonic Cemetery, and in 1931 was re-interred in Woodlawn Cemetery in Colma, CaliforniaColma, California
Colma is a small incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, at the northern end of the San Francisco Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 1,792 at the 2010 census. The town was founded as a necropolis in 1924....
.