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Jonathan Williams (engineer)
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Williams American businessman, military figure, politician and writer.
Williams was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He was a grandnephew of Benjamin Franklin
. He became Chief of Engineers
of the
Army Corps of Engineers
, was the first superintendent of West Point
, and was elected to the Fourteenth United States Congress.
Williams spent most of the period from 1770 to 1785 in England
and France
, where he assisted Franklin with business affairs and served as a commercial agent in Nantes
. He joined the American Philosophical Society
in 1788 and published articles on scientific subjects.
President John Adams
appointed Williams a major in the Corps of Artillerists and Engineers in February 1801 and President Thomas Jefferson
made him the Army's Inspector of Fortifications and assigned him to serve as the first superintendent
of West Point
in December 1801. The following year Jefferson appointed him to concurrently command the separate Corps of Engineers
established by Congress on March 16, 1802. He vacated (not resigned) his Superintendent position in 1803 but was reappointed in 1805. In 1802, the investor Richard Woodhull purchased 13 acres (52,609.2 m²) in north Brooklyn
and named the area Williamsburgh (later changed to Williamsburg
), after Col. Williams, who surveyed the land.
From 1807 to 1811 Williams designed and completed construction of Castle Williams
(the East Battery) and Castle Clinton
(the West Battery) in New York Harbor
. Castle Williams was the first casemate
d battery in the United States. He founded the U.S. Military Philosophical Society and gave it its motto, "Science in War is the Guarantee of Peace."
He resigned from the Army in 1812 because the Secretary of War, William Eustis
, refused to give him command of Castle Williams
, a fortification he designed and was named after him. At the time he was heading a group of volunteer engineers building fortifications around Philadelphia when he was elected to the Fourteenth United States Congress from that city in 1814. He died of gout in Philadelphia before the Congress assembled.
Williams was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He was a grandnephew of Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
. He became Chief of Engineers
Chief of Engineers
The Chief of Engineers commands the US Army Corps of Engineers. As a staff officer at The Pentagon, the Chief advises the Army on engineering matters and serves as the Army's topographer and the proponent for real estate and other related engineering programs....
of the
Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
, was the first superintendent of West Point
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
, and was elected to the Fourteenth United States Congress.
Williams spent most of the period from 1770 to 1785 in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, where he assisted Franklin with business affairs and served as a commercial agent in Nantes
Nantes
Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
. He joined the American Philosophical Society
American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society, founded in 1743, and located in Philadelphia, Pa., is an eminent scholarly organization of international reputation, that promotes useful knowledge in the sciences and humanities through excellence in scholarly research, professional meetings, publications,...
in 1788 and published articles on scientific subjects.
President John Adams
John Adams
John Adams was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States...
appointed Williams a major in the Corps of Artillerists and Engineers in February 1801 and President Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
made him the Army's Inspector of Fortifications and assigned him to serve as the first superintendent
Superintendents of the United States Military Academy
The commanding officer of the United States Military Academy is its Superintendent. This position is roughly equivalent to the chancellor or president of an American civilian university. The officer appointed is by tradition a graduate of the United States Military Academy, commonly known as "West...
of West Point
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
in December 1801. The following year Jefferson appointed him to concurrently command the separate Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
established by Congress on March 16, 1802. He vacated (not resigned) his Superintendent position in 1803 but was reappointed in 1805. In 1802, the investor Richard Woodhull purchased 13 acres (52,609.2 m²) in north Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
and named the area Williamsburgh (later changed to Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Williamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordering Greenpoint to the north, Bedford-Stuyvesant to the south, Bushwick to the east and the East River to the west. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 1. The neighborhood is served by the NYPD's 90th ...
), after Col. Williams, who surveyed the land.
From 1807 to 1811 Williams designed and completed construction of Castle Williams
Castle Williams
Notes...
(the East Battery) and Castle Clinton
Castle Clinton
Castle Clinton or Fort Clinton, once known as Castle Garden, is a circular sandstone fort now located in Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan Island, New York City, in the United States. It is perhaps best remembered as America's first immigration station , where more than 8 million...
(the West Battery) in New York Harbor
New York Harbor
New York Harbor refers to the waterways of the estuary near the mouth of the Hudson River that empty into New York Bay. It is one of the largest natural harbors in the world. Although the U.S. Board of Geographic Names does not use the term, New York Harbor has important historical, governmental,...
. Castle Williams was the first casemate
Casemate
A casemate, sometimes rendered casement, is a fortified gun emplacement or armored structure from which guns are fired. originally a vaulted chamber in a fortress.-Origin of the term:...
d battery in the United States. He founded the U.S. Military Philosophical Society and gave it its motto, "Science in War is the Guarantee of Peace."
He resigned from the Army in 1812 because the Secretary of War, William Eustis
William Eustis
William Eustis was an early American statesman.He was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts and studied at the Boston Latin School before he entered Harvard College, from which he graduated in 1772. He studied medicine under Dr. Joseph Warren and helped care for the wounded at the Battle of Bunker...
, refused to give him command of Castle Williams
Castle Williams
Notes...
, a fortification he designed and was named after him. At the time he was heading a group of volunteer engineers building fortifications around Philadelphia when he was elected to the Fourteenth United States Congress from that city in 1814. He died of gout in Philadelphia before the Congress assembled.