Henry Lincoln Johnson | |
|---|---|
 Johnson in 1914 in Washington | |
| Washington D.C. Recorder of Deeds | |
| In office 1909–1913 | |
| Appointed by | William Howard Taft |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 27, 1870 Augusta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | September 10, 1925 (aged 55) Freedmen's Hospital Washington, D.C. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Henry Lincoln Johnson, Jr. Peter Douglas Johnson |
| Parent(s) | Martha Ann Peter Johnson |
Henry Lincoln Johnson (July 27, 1870 – September 10, 1925) was an American attorney and politician from the state of Georgia. He is best remembered as one of the most prominent African-American Republicans of the first two decades of the 20th century and as a leader of the dominant black-and-tan faction of the Republican Party of Georgia. He was appointed by President William Howard Taft as Recorder of Deeds for the District of Columbia, at the time regarded as the premier political patronage position reserved for black Americans, and one of four appointees known as Taft's "Black Cabinet".
Following the Democratic administration of Woodrow Wilson, Johnson was again appointed Recorder of the Deeds for the District in June 1921 by Republican President Warren G. Harding, but his appointment was rejected by the United States Senate, meeting in executive session and based largely on the opposition of the two Democratic senators from Georgia, a prerogative of the Senate. His rejection garnered newspaper headlines and marked the finish of Johnson's national political influence. Harding's administration worked with Georgia Republicans to reorganize the party to reduce black-and-tan influence, already declining due to the state's disenfranchisement of black voters.
Johnson returned to his law practice in the capital. He died on September 10, 1925, at the Freedmen's Hospital after having a stroke at his home in Washington, D.C.