William Johnston Dawson

William Johnston Dawson (1765 – January 16, 1796)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="ReferenceA">Template:Cite news</ref> was a U.S. Congressman from the state of North Carolina from 1793 to 1795 and a member of the North Carolina House of Commons.

Early life

Dawson was born near Edenton in Chowan County, North Carolina. His grandfather was royal Governor Gabriel Johnston.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He was also the grandson of William Dawson, the second president of The College of William & Mary, and a great-great grandson of John Stith and William Randolph.<ref name="Gordon">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Tyler">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Goode">Template:Cite book</ref>

Political career

Dawson represented Bertie County in the state constitutional conventions of 1788 and 1789.<ref>North Carolina Manual</ref> He was elected to the North Carolina House of Commons (now called the House of Representatives) in 1791 and was a member of the committee which was appointed to choose a site for the new state capital, Raleigh, that same year.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Dawson Street in downtown Raleigh is named for him. Dawson was elected to the 3rd United States Congress in the election of February 15, 1793, a three-way race in which he, as the Anti-Federalist candidate, defeated two Federalists: Stephen Cabarrus (Speaker of the State House) and William Cumming.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Dawson served from March 4, 1793 to March 3, 1795. He lost his race for re-election on February 13, 1795 to Dempsey Burges.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Death

Dawson died in Bertie County, North Carolina. His obituary, printed in the North Carolina Journal on February 1, 1796, stated that Dawson died on January 16, 1796<ref name="ReferenceA"/> but the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, which lists his middle name as "Johnson," puts his death at 1798.