William Woods Holden
Encyclopedia
William Woods Holden was the 38th and 40th Governor of North Carolina
in 1865 and from 1868 to 1871. He was the leader of the state's Republican Party
during Reconstruction. Holden was the second governor in American history to be impeached
, and the first to be removed from office. He is the only North Carolina governor to have been impeached.
in present-day Durham County
. At age of 10, he began a six-year apprenticeship with Dennis Heartt at the Hillsborough Recorder
newspaper (in Hillsborough, North Carolina
). By age 19, Holden was working as a printer and writer at the Raleigh Star, in Raleigh, North Carolina
. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1841, and became a member of the Whig party
. In 1843, he became owner and editor of the North Carolina Standard, changing its party affiliation to the Democratic party
. When Holden took over the newspaper, it was struggling financially. Under his leadership, it became one of the most widely-read newspapers in the state.
state executive committee. In 1846, Holden was elected by Wake County voters to the North Carolina House of Commons. He did not run for re-election after serving one term.
As the "eloquent propagandist" of the Democratic Party, Holden was a key contributor to his party's successes in 1850, which ended years of Whig dominance in the state. By 1858, he was chairman of the state party. That year, he unsuccessfully attempted to gain the Democratic gubernatorial nomination (losing to John W. Ellis), and then his party passed him over for a U.S. Senate seat.
Throughout the 1840s and 1850s, Holden advocated Southern rights to expand slavery
and at times championed the right of secession
, but by 1860 he had shifted his position to support the Union. Holden and his newspaper fell out of favor with the state Democratic Party, and he was removed as the state's printer, when he cautiously editorialized against secession in 1860.
In 1861, Holden was sent to a State Convention to vote against secession
by the voters of Wake County
. After President Abraham Lincoln
called on North Carolina to provide troops to militarily suppress the seceding states, however, Holden joined in the unanimous vote to secede from the Union.
As the Civil War
progressed, Holden became an outspoken critic of the Confederate
government, and also a leader of the North Carolina peace movement. In 1864, he was the unsuccessful "peace candidate" against incumbent Governor Zebulon B. Vance. Vance won overwhelmingly, and Holden carried only three counties: Johnston, Randolph, and Wilkes.
After the war ended, Holden was appointed Governor by President Andrew Johnson
, and played a central role in stabilizing the state during the early days of Reconstruction (he placed the Standard in the hands of his son, Joseph W. Holden
). He was defeated by Jonathan Worth
in a special 1865 election for governor. Johnson then nominated Holden to be minister to El Salvador
, but the Senate rejected his nomination. He returned to editing the Standard, became president of the North Carolina Union League
, and organized the Republican Party
in the state in 1866–67. While voters were approving the new state constitution
, Holden was elected governor at the head of the Republican ticket in 1868, defeating Thomas Samuel Ashe
. When he was elected governor, Holden gave up editorship and ownership of the Standard.
, Holden hired two dozen detectives in 1869–70. The detective unit was not overly successful in limiting Klan activities, but Holden's efforts to suppress the Klan exceeded those of other Southern governors. He called out the militia against the Klan in 1870, imposed martial law in two counties, and suspended the writ of habeas corpus
for accused leaders of the Klan in what became known as the Kirk-Holden war
. The result was a political backlash that lost the Republicans the upcoming legislative election.
After the Democratic Party regained majorities in both houses of the state legislature, Governor Holden was impeached
by the North Carolina House of Representatives
on December 14, 1870. Despite being defended by well-known attorneys such as Nathaniel Boyden
and William Nathan Harrell Smith
, he was convicted on six of the eight charges against him by the North Carolina Senate
in straight party-line votes on March 22, 1871. Holden's son-in-law, Sen. Lewis P. Olds
, was among those who voted against removal. The other two charges received majority votes, but not the required two-thirds majorities.
The main charges against Holden had to do with the rough treatment and arrests of North Carolina citizens by state militia officer Col. George W. Kirk during the enforcement of reconstruction civil rights
legislation. Initially, Holden had formed the state militia out of a response to the assassination of senator John W. Stephens
on May 21, 1870 and the lynching of Wyatt Outlaw, an African American
night police officer in the town of Graham
in Alamance County, as well as numerous attacks by the Ku Klux Klan
. Holden was the first governor in American history to be impeached, convicted, and removed from office. Gov. Charles L. Robinson
of Kansas
was the first American governor to be impeached, however, without conviction and removal. Holden was posthumously pardoned by the North Carolina Senate
(with no votes against the resolution pardoning him) in 2011.
After his removal from office, Holden moved to Washington, D.C.
, where he again worked for a newspaper. He returned to Raleigh when President Ulysses Grant appointed him postmaster
there from 1873 to 1881. Raleigh Republicans persuaded President James Garfield
not to re-appoint him to his post, and Holden subsequently left the party.
William Woods Holden died in 1892 and is buried at Historic Oakwood Cemetery
in Raleigh. He was recognized as "one of the foremost men in intellectual power and daring that were ever born here" by North Carolinian Walter Hines Page
.
Governor of North Carolina
The Governor of North Carolina is the chief executive of the State of North Carolina, one of the U.S. states. The current governor is Bev Perdue, North Carolina's first female governor.-Powers:...
in 1865 and from 1868 to 1871. He was the leader of the state's Republican Party
History of the United States Republican Party
The United States Republican Party is the second oldest currently existing political party in the United States after its great rival, the Democratic Party. It emerged in 1854 to combat the Kansas Nebraska Act which threatened to extend slavery into the territories, and to promote more vigorous...
during Reconstruction. Holden was the second governor in American history to be impeached
Impeachment in the United States
Impeachment in the United States is an expressed power of the legislature that allows for formal charges against a civil officer of government for crimes committed in office...
, and the first to be removed from office. He is the only North Carolina governor to have been impeached.
Early years
Holden was born and raised near what is now Eno River State ParkEno River State Park
Eno River State Park is a 3,900 acre North Carolina state park in Durham and Orange Counties, North Carolina in the United States. It is near Durham, North Carolina along the banks of the Eno River...
in present-day Durham County
Durham County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 223,314 people, 89,015 households, and 54,032 families residing in the county. The population density was 769 people per square mile . There were 95,452 housing units at an average density of 329 per square mile...
. At age of 10, he began a six-year apprenticeship with Dennis Heartt at the Hillsborough Recorder
Hillsborough Recorder
The Hillsborough Recorder was established by Dennis Heartt in Hillsborough, North Carolina, in February of 1820, with the first known edition of the newspaper being issued on March 1, 1820...
newspaper (in Hillsborough, North Carolina
Hillsborough, North Carolina
Hillsborough is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 5,653 at the 2008 census. It is the county seat of Orange County....
). By age 19, Holden was working as a printer and writer at the Raleigh Star, in Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1841, and became a member of the Whig party
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
. In 1843, he became owner and editor of the North Carolina Standard, changing its party affiliation to the Democratic party
History of the United States Democratic Party
The history of the Democratic Party of the United States is an account of the oldest political party in the United States and arguably the oldest democratic party in the world....
. When Holden took over the newspaper, it was struggling financially. Under his leadership, it became one of the most widely-read newspapers in the state.
Political career
In December 1843, Holden began his Democratic Party activism as a delegate to the state party convention, where he was elected to the North Carolina Democratic PartyNorth Carolina Democratic Party
The North Carolina Democratic Party is the North Carolina affiliate of the national Democratic Party in the United States. It is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. They are located in the historic Goodwin house which is located in the downtown area of Raleigh at 220 Hillsborough Street...
state executive committee. In 1846, Holden was elected by Wake County voters to the North Carolina House of Commons. He did not run for re-election after serving one term.
As the "eloquent propagandist" of the Democratic Party, Holden was a key contributor to his party's successes in 1850, which ended years of Whig dominance in the state. By 1858, he was chairman of the state party. That year, he unsuccessfully attempted to gain the Democratic gubernatorial nomination (losing to John W. Ellis), and then his party passed him over for a U.S. Senate seat.
Throughout the 1840s and 1850s, Holden advocated Southern rights to expand slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
and at times championed the right of secession
Secession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
, but by 1860 he had shifted his position to support the Union. Holden and his newspaper fell out of favor with the state Democratic Party, and he was removed as the state's printer, when he cautiously editorialized against secession in 1860.
In 1861, Holden was sent to a State Convention to vote against secession
Secession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
by the voters of Wake County
Wake County, North Carolina
Wake County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 900,993 making it North Carolina's second most populated county...
. After President Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
called on North Carolina to provide troops to militarily suppress the seceding states, however, Holden joined in the unanimous vote to secede from the Union.
As the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
progressed, Holden became an outspoken critic of the Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
government, and also a leader of the North Carolina peace movement. In 1864, he was the unsuccessful "peace candidate" against incumbent Governor Zebulon B. Vance. Vance won overwhelmingly, and Holden carried only three counties: Johnston, Randolph, and Wilkes.
After the war ended, Holden was appointed Governor by President Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the United States . As Vice-President of the United States in 1865, he succeeded Abraham Lincoln following the latter's assassination. Johnson then presided over the initial and contentious Reconstruction era of the United States following the American...
, and played a central role in stabilizing the state during the early days of Reconstruction (he placed the Standard in the hands of his son, Joseph W. Holden
Joseph W. Holden
Joseph W. Holden was a North Carolina politician in the nineteenth century. He was the son of William Woods Holden.During the American Civil War, Holden served in the Confederate States Army and was captured by Union forces at Roanoke Island...
). He was defeated by Jonathan Worth
Jonathan Worth
Jonathan Worth was the 39th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1865 to 1868, during the early years of Reconstruction.-Early life:...
in a special 1865 election for governor. Johnson then nominated Holden to be minister to El Salvador
United States Ambassador to El Salvador
The following is a list of United States Ambassadors, or other Chiefs of Mission, to El Salvador. The title given by the United States State Department to this position is currently Ambassador Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.-Chiefs of Mission:...
, but the Senate rejected his nomination. He returned to editing the Standard, became president of the North Carolina Union League
Union League
A Union League is one of a number of organizations established starting in 1862, during the American Civil War to promote loyalty to the Union and the policies of Abraham Lincoln. They were also known as Loyal Leagues. They comprised upper middle class men who supported efforts such as the United...
, and organized the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
in the state in 1866–67. While voters were approving the new state constitution
North Carolina Constitution
The Constitution of the State of North Carolina governs the structure and function of the state government of North Carolina, United States; it is the highest legal document for the state and subjugates North Carolina law...
, Holden was elected governor at the head of the Republican ticket in 1868, defeating Thomas Samuel Ashe
Thomas Samuel Ashe
Thomas Samuel Ashe was a U.S. Congressman from North Carolina between 1873 and 1877. He had previously served in the Confederate Congress.-Early years:...
. When he was elected governor, Holden gave up editorship and ownership of the Standard.
Governor, 1868 – 71
To combat the Ku Klux KlanKu Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
, Holden hired two dozen detectives in 1869–70. The detective unit was not overly successful in limiting Klan activities, but Holden's efforts to suppress the Klan exceeded those of other Southern governors. He called out the militia against the Klan in 1870, imposed martial law in two counties, and suspended the writ of habeas corpus
Habeas corpus
is a writ, or legal action, through which a prisoner can be released from unlawful detention. The remedy can be sought by the prisoner or by another person coming to his aid. Habeas corpus originated in the English legal system, but it is now available in many nations...
for accused leaders of the Klan in what became known as the Kirk-Holden war
Kirk-Holden war
The Kirk-Holden War was a struggle against the Ku Klux Klan in the state of North Carolina in 1870. The Klan was preventing recently freed slaves from exercising their right to vote by intimidating them. Governor William W...
. The result was a political backlash that lost the Republicans the upcoming legislative election.
After the Democratic Party regained majorities in both houses of the state legislature, Governor Holden was impeached
Impeachment in the United States
Impeachment in the United States is an expressed power of the legislature that allows for formal charges against a civil officer of government for crimes committed in office...
by the North Carolina House of Representatives
North Carolina House of Representatives
The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the state senate....
on December 14, 1870. Despite being defended by well-known attorneys such as Nathaniel Boyden
Nathaniel Boyden
Nathaniel Boyden was a U.S. Congressman from North Carolina between 1847 and 1849 and later between 1868 to 1869....
and William Nathan Harrell Smith
William Nathan Harrell Smith
William Nathan Harrell Smith was a United States Representative from North Carolina; born in Murfreesboro, North Carolina, September 24, 1812; attended the common schools in Murfreesboro, N.C., Kingston, Rhode Island, and Colchester, Connecticut and East Lyme, Connecticut; was graduated from Yale...
, he was convicted on six of the eight charges against him by the North Carolina Senate
North Carolina Senate
The North Carolina Senate is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly.Its prerogatives and powers are similar to those of the other house, the House of Representatives. Its members do, however, represent districts that are larger than those of their colleagues in the House. The...
in straight party-line votes on March 22, 1871. Holden's son-in-law, Sen. Lewis P. Olds
Lewis P. Olds
Lewis P. Olds was a North Carolina lawyer and politician who served as North Carolina Attorney General in 1869-1870.In 1868, he was offered the presidency of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Kemp P. Battle wrote, "As there was no treasury in sight from which a salary could be drawn,...
, was among those who voted against removal. The other two charges received majority votes, but not the required two-thirds majorities.
The main charges against Holden had to do with the rough treatment and arrests of North Carolina citizens by state militia officer Col. George W. Kirk during the enforcement of reconstruction civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
legislation. Initially, Holden had formed the state militia out of a response to the assassination of senator John W. Stephens
John W. Stephens
John W. Stephens was a state senator from North Carolina. He was assassinated by the Ku Klux Klan on May 21, 1870.-Personal life and early career:...
on May 21, 1870 and the lynching of Wyatt Outlaw, an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
night police officer in the town of Graham
Graham, North Carolina
Graham is a city in Alamance County, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the Burlington, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. The current population estimate is 14,533...
in Alamance County, as well as numerous attacks by the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
. Holden was the first governor in American history to be impeached, convicted, and removed from office. Gov. Charles L. Robinson
Charles L. Robinson
Charles Lawrence Robinson was the first Governor of Kansas. He was also the first governor of a US state to be impeached, although he was not convicted or removed from office. To date he is the only governor of Kansas to be impeached...
of Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
was the first American governor to be impeached, however, without conviction and removal. Holden was posthumously pardoned by the North Carolina Senate
North Carolina Senate
The North Carolina Senate is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly.Its prerogatives and powers are similar to those of the other house, the House of Representatives. Its members do, however, represent districts that are larger than those of their colleagues in the House. The...
(with no votes against the resolution pardoning him) in 2011.
After his removal from office, Holden moved to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, where he again worked for a newspaper. He returned to Raleigh when President Ulysses Grant appointed him postmaster
Postmaster
A postmaster is the head of an individual post office. Postmistress is not used anymore in the United States, as the "master" component of the word refers to a person of authority and has no gender quality...
there from 1873 to 1881. Raleigh Republicans persuaded President James Garfield
James Garfield
James Abram Garfield served as the 20th President of the United States, after completing nine consecutive terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Garfield's accomplishments as President included a controversial resurgence of Presidential authority above Senatorial courtesy in executive...
not to re-appoint him to his post, and Holden subsequently left the party.
William Woods Holden died in 1892 and is buried at Historic Oakwood Cemetery
Historic Oakwood Cemetery
Historic Oakwood Cemetery was founded in 1869 in Raleigh, North Carolina near the North Carolina State Capitol in Historic Oakwood. Historic Oakwood Cemetery contains two special areas within its , the Confederate Cemetery, located on the original two and one-half acres , and the Hebrew Cemetery,...
in Raleigh. He was recognized as "one of the foremost men in intellectual power and daring that were ever born here" by North Carolinian Walter Hines Page
Walter Hines Page
Walter Hines Page was an American journalist, publisher, and diplomat. He was the United States ambassador to the United Kingdom during World War I.-Biography:...
.
Primary sources
- Argument in the impeachment trial of W. W. Holden. Raleigh: James A. Moore, 1871.
- Memoirs of W. W. Holden (published 1911) complete text
- Holden, William Woods. The Papers of William Woods Holden. Vol. 1: 1841–1868. Horace Raper and Thornton W. Mitchell, ed. Raleigh, Division of Arch. and Hist., Dept. of Cultural Resources, 2000. 457 pp.
Secondary sources
- Harris, William C. "William Woods Holden: in Search of Vindication." North Carolina Historical Review 1982 59(4): 354–372. ISSN 0029-2494
- Harris, William C. William Woods Holden, Firebrand of North Carolina Politics. Louisiana State U. Press, 1987. 332 pp.
- Folk, Edgar E. W.W. Holden, Political Journalist, Editor of N.C. Standard, 1843–1865. Ph. D. dissertation, Department of English, George Peabody College for Teachers. Nashville. 1934.
- Folk, Edgar E. and Bynum Shaw. W.W. Holden: A Political Biography. Winston-Salem: John F. Blair, publisher, 1982. ISBN 0-89587-025-8.
- Massengill, Stephen E. "The Detectives of William W. Holden, 1869–1870." North Carolina Historical Review 1985 62(4): 448–487. ISSN 0029-2494
- Raper, Horace W. William W. Holden: North Carolina's Political Enigma U. of North Carolina Press, 1985. 376 pp.
- Reid, Richard. "William W. Holden and 'Disloyalty' in the Civil War." Canadian Journal of History 1985 20(1): 23–44. ISSN 0008-4107 Fulltext online in Ebsco
- Wade, Wyn Craig. The Fiery Cross: The Ku Klux Klan in America. New York: Simon and Schuster. 1987.
External links
- Memoirs of W. W. Holden. Durham, NC: The Seeman Printery, 1911.
- Dictionary of NC Biography
- William Woods Holden (1818–1892), from the Caswell County Historical Association