The powerful political ‘family’ that influenced Arkansas’s early days and pre-Civil War US

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Throughout the early days of Arkansas’ statehood leading up to the Civil War, a powerful group of Democrats known as the “The Family” controlled much of Arkansas politics.

The Encyclopedia of Arkansas says The Family’s reach extended as far as the governor of Arkansas, the United States Congress and Senate and the country’s vice president.

According to Only in Arkansas , the origins of The Family can be traced back to the frontier days when Arkansas was still a territory of the United States. Henry Wharton Conway went to Arkansas in 1820 after serving in the War of 1812 and working for the U.S. Treasury Department.

Henry Conway was tasked with transferring land from the U.S. government to private landowners after Missouri became a state in 1821 and much of its southern territory became Arkansas territory.

The U.S. government wanted to set up a territorial government in Arkansas, which eventually became James Miller. Miller arrived for his appointment to find two friends, Robert Crittenden and Henry Conway, already started appointing people to positions in the new territory. Despite his appointment as Secretary of Arkansas, he had been serving as acting governor until Miller arrived.

Henry Conway would later run for the office of Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives. He won his first election in 1822 with the support of Crittenden. Henry Conway would go on to serve four years, from 1823-27. He won two more elections to remain in his seat.

In 1827, Henry Conway was met with attacks by his political opponent that he misappropriated funds. While defending himself, Henry Conway implicated Crittenden in the financial misdeed. Crittenden denied his involvement, but the scandal took hold of the state for several months while Henry Conway and Crittenden attacked each other.

Crittenden would go on to challenge Henry Conway to a duel. They met on the morning of Oct. 29, 1827, and fired pistols at each other from 10 yards away. Henry Conway’s bullet grazed Crittenden’s coat and he was left unharmed. However, Crittenden was able to hit Henry Conway in the ribs on the right side. The Arkansas Gazette described the wound as “severe, but not dangerous.”

Despite the nonserious nature of the bullet wound, Henry Conway would die 11 days later on Nov. 8, 1827.

The Encyclopedia of Arkansas says Henry Conway’s death deepened the political divide that had already formed in the state between Crittenden and his supporters and Henry Conway’s supporters. Crittenden along with his supporters became the basis for the Whig Party in Arkansas. Henry Conway’s followers were staunch Democrats who aligned themselves with President Andrew Jackson.

Among Henry Conway’s followers were his brother James Conway, his cousins Elias and Wharton Rector and Ambrose Sevier.

Servier was elected to the remainder of Henry Conway’s term and served until 1836. He married Juliette Johnson, the daughter of Superior Court Judge for the Arkansas Territory Benjamin Johnson, on Sept. 27, 1827.

The political alliance by blood and marriage among the Conways, Rectors, and Sevier would soon be known as “The Family.”

The 1836 election was Arkansas’ first. Its results solidified The Family’s control of Arkansas politics. James Conway was elected the state’s first governor. Ambrose Sevier was chosen by the state legislature to be one of the state’s U.S. senators, and Benjamin Johnson was appointed by President Andrew Jackson to be the state’s first federal district judge. In the same year, Benjamin Johnson’s brother, Richard M. Johnson, was elected vice president of the United States on a ticket with Martin Van Buren.

In the decade leading up to the Civil War, a new generation of politicians emerged from The Family. Benjamin Johnson’s son, Robert Ward Johnson, served the state as a congressman and later as a U.S. senator. Elias Conway, Henry and James Conway’s youngest brother, served two terms as governor from 1851-60.

However, The Family’s reign in Arkansas politics was about to face its end. In 1860, Henry Massie Rector, the son of Family member Elias Rector and blood relative of the Conways and Sevier, challenged Family candidate Richard H. Johnson in the gubernatorial election.

During the 1860 election, The Family’s political dominance of Arkansas became a central theme. Rector defeated Johnson in the race by 3,000 votes, making it the first significant defeat for a politician of The Family since Arkansas became a state.

Robert Ward Johnson would later serve in the Confederate Senate, but Rector’s victory and the Civil War would spell the political end of The Family.

The Family made a significant impact on the state of Arkansas and the United States as a whole, influencing policies and development of the state and the nation. The Family has been cemented in Arkansas history and their names live on. Johnson, Conway and Sevier counties are all named for The Family. The cities of Conway and Rector are also named for The Family.

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