Researching historical Thomas Johnsons - which one was most influential?

Been reading about various Thomas Johnsons throughout history and there have been some pretty significant ones. The Maryland governor who nominated Washington as commander-in-chief, the English architect, various businessmen and politicians. Who do you all think was the most influential Thomas Johnson in history? Trying to learn more about notable namesakes.

5 Comments

RevolutionaryHistory Jan 18 at 2:00 PM

The Maryland Governor has to be up there. Thomas Johnson nominated George Washington as commander of the Continental Army. That's a pretty pivotal moment in American history. Without that nomination, who knows how the Revolution plays out.

HistoryBuff_TJ Jan 18 at 2:25 PM

I didnt realize he also served on the first Supreme Court. Thats an impressive resume for someone most people have never heard of

ArchitectureNerd Jan 18 at 3:30 PM

The English architect Thomas Johnson from the 18th century was hugely influential in furniture design and decorative arts. His pattern books were used by craftsmen for generations. Different kind of influence than political but still significant.

CivilWarStudent Jan 18 at 5:00 PM

Theres also Thomas Johnson who was a Union Army general in the Civil War and later a Congressman. Multiple Thomas Johnsons have served in Congress actually. The name just keeps popping up in American political history.

CommonNameFacts Jan 18 at 5:30 PM

makes sense when you think about it. thomas was the 5th most popular name in the colonies and johnson is the 2nd most common surname. statistically a lot of thomas johnsons were bound to end up doing notable things