Life
- Born
- January 11, 1793
- Died
- November 23, 1866
Career
Biography
Cave Johnson was a Tennessee attorney, politician and public official whose career included involvement with early federal transportation and communications policy. Born near Springfield, Tennessee, on January 11, 1793, he represented Tennessee in the United States House of Representatives and served as postmaster general under President James K. Polk from 1845 to 1849.
As postmaster general, Johnson oversaw the federal government’s Baltimore and Washington telegraph line and introduced adhesive postage stamps as part of the transition to prepaid mail. His tenure coincided with the expansion of communications networks that increasingly complemented the nation’s developing railroad system.
Johnson later became president of the Third Bank of Tennessee, serving from 1854 to 1860. He also served as a state circuit court judge and was elected to the Tennessee Senate in 1866 but was not seated. Johnson died on November 23, 1866.
