Thomas Johnson (Kansas politician)

For other people of the same name, see Thomas Johnson (disambiguation).
Portrait of Thomas Johnson

Thomas Johnson (July 11, 1802 – January 2, 1865[1]) was a Methodist missionary in Kansas who founded the Shawnee Methodist Mission. It was intended to serve and convert the Shawnee, several hundred of whom had been relocated to Kansas Indian Territory from east of the Mississippi River.

Johnson was a known slave holder in Kansas and sided strongly with the pro-slavery group, at a time when it was unclear whether residents would vote to allow slavery in the territory. He was elected as a member of the Kansas territorial legislature, which temporarily designated Shawnee Mission as the state capital, 1855-1856. Johnson County, Kansas is named for him.[2] Johnson was pro-Southern in sympathy but signed a Unionist pledge at the time of the Civil War.

Death

Johnson was murdered at his home in 1865. It is a mystery whether he was robbed or whether he was killed for political purposes.

References

  1. ↑ Shawnee Methodist Mission Cemetery - Johnson County, Kansas from interment.net
  2. ↑ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 169.


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