William H. Crawford

For more information on William Harris Crawford, visit Britannica.com.

Crawford, William Harris (1772-1834) U.S. senator (1807-12), cabinet member, and presidential candidate, born in Amherst County, Virginia. Crawford was President James Madison's minister to France during the War of 1812, then secretary of war under Madison (1815-16). He improved the quality of education at West Point by requiring cadets to pass an entrance examination.

See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.

American politician William Harris Crawford (1772-1834) was a leader of the Old Republican wing of the Jeffersonian-Republican party.

William H. Crawford was born in western Virginia on Feb. 24, 1772. At the end of the American Revolution, William's family moved to South Carolina but by 1786 settled near Augusta, Ga. For several years Crawford worked on the family farm and acquired the rudiments of an education. By 1804, having built a respectable law practice, he married and established a homestead (later expanded into a plantation) near Lexington, Ga.

Politics rather than law, however, was to be the focus of Crawford's considerable ambitions. Large in stature, handsome, magnanimous and affable though somewhat coarse, and with a limitless store of entertaining anecdotes, Crawford quickly became a popular figure. Building his career as the upland leader of a powerful coalition of well-to-do and conservative merchant and planter interests, Crawford secured election to the Georgia Legislature in 1803. Within 4 years he succeeded to the U.S. Senate. By 1808 he had emerged as the single most powerful political figure in the state. In the Senate, Crawford spoke for the Old Republican section of the Jeffersonian party, emphasizing states' rights, governmental economy, and simplicity.

The pragmatic search for office rather than ideological consistency was, however, Crawford's main characteristic. In 1807 he opposed Thomas Jefferson's embargo and by 1811 had become not only an apologist for federally controlled internal improvements but one of the most enthusiastic advocates of rechartering the Bank of the United States. After a brief turn as U.S. minister to France, Crawford resigned and was appointed secretary of war and then secretary of the Treasury by President James Madison (a post Crawford held through both of James Monroe's administrations). In 1816, though publicly disavowing his candidacy, Crawford secured within the Jeffersonian-Republican caucus 54 votes to Monroe's 65 for the party's presidential nomination. During the next years Crawford worked vigorously to strengthen his national political base, using the patronage and influence provided by his control of the Treasury.

After Monroe's reelection in 1820, sparring for the election of 1824 began among the leading candidates - Crawford, John Quincy Adams, John Calhoun, Andrew Jackson, and Henry Clay. By 1823 Crawford had patched together an impressive, if motley, following of Southern Old Republicans and certain Northern commercial interests. For a while Crawford seemed the leading candidate. In 1823, however, he was stricken with paralysis. His followers vainly attempted to sustain his candidacy. In the final election Crawford ran a poor third.

With Crawford's physical condition permanently impaired and his political strength dissipated, his national career was at an end. He spent the rest of his life in Georgia, serving as judge of the state's Northern Judicial Circuit from 1827 until his death.

Further Reading

Crawford's personal papers were lost shortly after his death; consequently, there can be no definitive biography. The best is Phillip Jackson Green's sympathetic The Life of William Harris Crawford (1965), although Green does not incorporate recent scholarship. Still useful is J. E. D. Shipp, Giant Days: or, The Life and Times of William H. Crawford (1909).

Additional Sources

Mooney, Chase Curran, William H. Crawford, 1772-18, Lexington University Press of Kentucky 1974.

Engineering professor at Queens University, Belfast, Ireland, and researcher in psychic phenomena. Crawford was born in New Zealand. He received his doctorate from the University of Glasgow. He resided in Belfast when around 1914 he began to investigate the physical phenomena of Kathleen Goligher and the group around her, known as the Goligher Circle. His investigation continued until his death in 1920.

From his research, he developed a set of speculations on the scientific laws behind the phenomenon of telekinesis (now known as psychokinesis or "PK"), which he presented in his books, The Reality of Psychic Phenomena (1916), Experiment in Psychic Science (1919), and The Psychic Structures in the Goligher Circle(1921). During his research, he converted to Spiritualism, though his theories played down the role of spirits in favor of a psychic force.

Crawford first tackled the problem of the alteration of weight as objects were lifted and displaced. He found that the weight of the levitated table was beared by the medium. Her increase in weight was usually well within five percent of that of the table. The difference was beared by the sitters. Similarly, if the table was glued down to the floor by the psychic force, the medium's weight decreased in proportion to the pressure borne by the floor. The levitation itself was effected, he reasoned, by an invisible substance that streamed out of the medium's body and became more or less solidified into what he called "psychic rods." These rods, which consisted of ecto-plasm, found leverage in the medium's body and acted as cantilevers. If the weight to be lifted was too big, an elbow formation, transferring the pressure to the floor, was used. These psychic rods evolved with great rapidity and they could assume any shape and size. They were invisible but the ends were dense enough to be felt. This psychic substance according to Crawford, could rap, grip an object by suction, and perform delicate mechanical effects. If Crawford passed his hand in front of the medium's ankle, he could intercept the psychic rod and stop the raps. In so doing, he said, he felt something cold and clammy.

Putting the medium on a weighing machine he measured the amount of substance withdrawn for raps of varying loudness. The raps reacted on the medium's body, apparently in the region of the chest, but she was unconscious of the effect. He found that the withdrawal of ectoplasm was but a temporary loss. The medium, at the end of the séance, lost less in weight and was less exhausted than the sitters.

Crawford concluded from this that the psychic force that vitalizes the ectoplasm is drawn mostly from the sitters and used up. The sitters lost between five and ten ounces of weight. The maximum loss of weight, when ectoplasm was experimentally withdrawn in fluxes from the medium, was 54 pounds, nearly half of her normal weight. At the same time, the medium perceptibly shrank, her pulse gradually rose, and her muscles convulsed.

The flow of ectoplasm could carry particles of paint. By a colored track Crawford traced the flow from the ankles up to the hip and to the base of the spine. Powdered carmine was used for this purpose. When it was placed on the knickers, the track extended to the shoes and upward to the lower part of the trunk. This showed that the flow started from her trunk, passed down her feet, and returned. The fabric of her knickers and stockings was abraded in places. Crawford inferred that some frictional resistance was encountered. He also found that it was not the ectoplasm, but the medium which suffered from sudden exposures to light. By shielding her with black cloth he obtained many good flashlight photographs.

Crawford's conclusions were challenged by E. E. Fournier d'Albe in his book The Goligher Circle (1922). In 20 sittings with the same medium he obtained almost no results. He expressed the belief that the levitations recorded by Crawford were accomplished by the medium's legs.

Crawford committed suicide on July 30, 1920. Four days before his death he wrote, "I have been struck down mentally. I was perfectly all right up to a few weeks ago. It is not the psychic work. I enjoyed it too well. I am thankful to say that the work will stand. It is too thoroughly done for any material loopholes to be left."

In this belief Crawford relied in part upon the opinion of colleagues such as Sir William Barrett, who wrote on March 24, 1917, "I can testify to the genuineness and amazing character of these physical manifestations and also to the patient care and skill which have characterized Crawford's long and laborious investigations."

Sources:

Barham, A. "Dr. W. J. Crawford: His Work and Legacy in Psychokinesis." Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 55 (1988): 113.

Berger, Arthur S., and Joyce Berger. The Encyclopedia of Parapsychology and Psychical Research. New York: Paragon House, 1991.

Crawford, E. F. Experiment in Psychic Science. N.p., 1919.

——. The Psychic Structures in the Goligher Circle. New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., 1921.

——. The Reality of Psychic Phenomena. London: J. M. Watkins, 1919.

This article is about the 19th century Georgia politician. For the 18th century U.S. military officer, see William Crawford (soldier).

William Harris Crawford
7th United States Secretary of the Treasury
In office October 22, 1816 – March 6, 1825
President	James Madison (1816-1817) James Monroe (1817-1825)
Preceded by	Alexander J. Dallas
Succeeded by	Richard Rush
9th United States Secretary of War
In office August 1, 1815 – October 22, 1816
President	James Madison
Preceded by	James Monroe
Succeeded by	John C. Calhoun
Born	February 24, 1772(1772-02-24) Amherst County, Virginia, U.S.
Died	September 15, 1834 (aged 62) Crawford, Georgia, U.S.
Political party	Democratic-Republican
Profession	Lawyer, Politician, Judge, Farmer, Teacher

William Harris Crawford (February 24, 1772 – September 15, 1834) was an American politician and judge during the early 19th century. He served as United States Secretary of War from 1815 to 1816 and United States Secretary of the Treasury from 1816 to 1825, and was a candidate for President of the United States in 1824.

Contents 1 Political career 2 Personal life 3 Legacy 4 References

Political career

In 1803, Crawford was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives as a member of the Democratic-Republican Party. In 1807, Crawford joined the 10th United States Congress mid-term as the junior U.S. Senator from Georgia when the Georgia legislature elected him to replace George Jones, an appointee who had held the office for a few months after the death of Abraham Baldwin.

Crawford was elected President pro tempore in 1811. When Vice President George Clinton died on April 20, 1812, Crawford, as President pro tempore, became "Acting Vice President" until March 4, 1813.

In 1813, President James Madison appointed Crawford as the U.S. minister to France during the waning years of the First French Empire; Crawford held that ministerial post until 1815, shortly after the end of the War of 1812.

Upon Crawford's return, Madison appointed him as Secretary of War. After slightly more than a year of satisfactory service in that post (and after disclaiming interest in the 1816 Democratic-Republican nomination for President), Crawford moved within the Cabinet to become Secretary of the Treasury. He remained in that position through the rest of Madison's term and Monroe's entire administration which ended in 1825.

Crawford was again a leading candidate for the Democratic-Republican presidential nomination in 1824, but a massive stroke in 1823 ended his chances. The Democratic-Republican Party split apart that year, and one of the splinter groups nominated Crawford. Despite Crawford's improved health (and the support of former presidents Madison and Thomas Jefferson), he finished third in the electoral vote, behind John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson. He thus was still in the running when the Presidential election ended up in the House of Representatives, but his stroke made him a non-factor there.

Refusing Adams's request that he remain at the Treasury, Crawford then returned to Georgia, where he was appointed as a state superior court judge. Crawford remained an active judge until his death a decade later.

Personal life

Crawford was born in Amherst County, Virginia, but his family moved south to Appling County, Georgia, when he was a boy. As a young man, he worked as a farmer and a schoolteacher for about 10 years, then began to practice law in Lexington, Georgia, in 1799.

His cousin George W. Crawford served as Secretary of War under President Zachary Taylor.

Crawford was buried in Crawford Cemetery in Crawford, Georgia.

The 50 cent treasury note bearing Crawford's portrait.

Legacy

The town of Crawfordsville, Indiana, as well as Crawford County, Illinois; Crawford County, Indiana, Crawford County, Iowa; Crawford County, Missouri; Crawford County, Arkansas; Crawford County, Michigan; Crawford County, Wisconsin; Crawfordville, Georgia; Crawford County, Georgia, and Crawford, Georgia are named for Crawford. Crawford is buried in Crawford, Georgia.

In 1875, Crawford appeared on the 50 cent bill.

References

This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations where appropriate. (April 2009)

• Garraty, John A. and Mark C. Carnes. American National Biography, vol. 5, "Crawford, William Harris". New York : Oxford University Press, 1999.

United States Senate
Preceded by George Jones	United States Senator (Class 2) from Georgia 1807–1813 Served alongside: John Milledge, Charles Tait	Succeeded by William B. Bulloch
Honorary titles
Preceded by John Pope	President pro tempore of the United States Senate March 24, 1812–March 23, 1813	Succeeded by Joseph Bradley Varnum
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Joel Barlow	U.S. Minister to France 1813–1815	Succeeded by Albert Gallatin
Political offices
Preceded by James Monroe	United States Secretary of War 1815–1816	Succeeded by John C. Calhoun
Preceded by Alexander J. Dallas	United States Secretary of the Treasury Served Under: James Madison, James Monroe 1816–1825	Succeeded by Richard Rush
Party political offices
Preceded by James Monroe	Democratic-Republican Party presidential candidate(1) 1824 (lost)	Succeeded by (none)
Notes and references
1. The Democratic-Republican Party split in 1824, fielding four separate candidates: Crawford, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, and Henry Clay.

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v • d • e United States Secretaries of the Treasury Hamilton • Wolcott • Dexter • Gallatin • Campbell • Dallas • Crawford • Rush • Ingham • McLane • Duane • Taney • Woodbury • Ewing • Forward • Spencer • Bibb • Walker • Meredith • Corwin • Guthrie • Cobb • Thomas • Dix • Chase • Fessenden • McCulloch • Boutwell • Richardson • Bristow • Morrill • Sherman • Windom • Folger • Gresham • McCulloch • Manning • Fairchild • Windom • Foster • Carlisle • Gage • Shaw • Cortelyou • MacVeagh • McAdoo • Glass • Houston • Mellon • Mills • Woodin • Morgenthau • Vinson • Snyder • Humphrey • Anderson • Dillon • Fowler • Barr • Kennedy • Connally • Shultz • Simon • Blumenthal • Miller • Regan • Baker • Brady • Bentsen • Rubin • Summers • O'Neill • Snow • Paulson • Geithner

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v • d • e United States Ambassadors to France Envoys Benjamin Franklin, Arthur Lee, Silas Deane (substituted by John Adams in 1778) 1776–1779 Ministers Plenipotentiary Franklin 1778–85 · Jefferson 1785–89 · Short 1790–92 · Morris 1792–94 · Monroe 1794–96 · Pinckney 1796–97 · Livingston 1801–04 · Armstrong 1804–10 · Russell (chargé d'affaires) 1811 Barlow 1811–12 · Crawford 1813–15 Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Gallatin 1816–23 · Brown 1824–29 · Rives 1829–32 · Harris (chargé d'affaires) 1833 · Livingston 1833–35 · Barton (chargé d'affaires) 1835 · Cass 1836–42 · King 1844–46 · Rush 1847–49 · Rives 1849–53 · Mason 1853–59 · Faulkner 1860–61 · Dayton 1861–64 · Bigelow 1865–66 · Dix 1866–69 · Washburne 1869–77 · Noyes 1877–81 · Morton 1881–85 · McLane 1885–89 · Reid 1889–92 · Coolidge 1892–93 Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Eustis 1893–97 · Porter 1897–05 · McCormick 1905–07 · White 1907–09 · Bacon 1909–12 · Herrick 1912–14 · Sharp 1914–1919 · Wallace 1919–21 · Herrick 1921–29 · Edge 1929–33 · Strauss 1933–36 · Bullitt 1936–40 · Leahy 1941–42 · Tuck (chargé d'affaires) 1942 · Caffery 1944–49 · Bruce 1949–52 · Dunn 1952–53 · Dillon 1953–57 · Houghton 1957–61 · Gavin 1961–62 · Bohlen 1962–68 · Shriver 1968–70 · Watson 1970–72 · Irwin 1973–74 · Rush 1974–77 · Hartman 1977–81 · Galbraith 1981–85 · Rodgers 1985–89 · Curley 1989–93 · Harriman 1993–97 · Rohatyn 1997–2000 · Leach 2001–05 · Stapleton 2005–09 · Rivkin 2009–

v • d • e Cabinet of President James Madison (1809–1817) Vice President George Clinton (1809–1812) · Elbridge Gerry (1813–1814) Secretary of State Robert Smith (1809–1811) · James Monroe (1811–1814) (1815–1817) Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin (1809–1814) · George W. Campbell (1814) · Alexander J. Dallas (1814–1816) · William H. Crawford (1816–1817) Secretary of War William Eustis (1809–1813) · John Armstrong, Jr. (1813–1814) · James Monroe (1814–1815) · William H. Crawford (1815–1816) Attorney General Caesar A. Rodney (1809–1811) · William Pinkney (1811–1814) · Richard Rush (1814–1817) Secretary of the Navy Paul Hamilton (1809–1813) · William Jones (1813–1814) · Benjamin Williams Crowninshield (1814–1817)

v • d • e Cabinet of President James Monroe (1817-1825) Vice President Daniel D. Tompkins (1817 – 1825) Secretary of State John Quincy Adams (1817 – 1825) Secretary of the Treasury William H. Crawford (1817 – 1825) Secretary of War John C. Calhoun (1817 – 1825) Attorney General Richard Rush (1817) • William Wirt (1817 – 1825) Secretary of the Navy Benjamin Williams Crowninshield (1817 – 1818) • Smith Thompson (1819 – 1823) • Samuel L. Southard (1823 – 1825)

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