William Strong

William Strong (May 6 1808 – August 19 1895) was an American lawyer, legislator and jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1870 to 1880. Prior to his federal appointment he represented Pennsylvania in Congress, sat on that state’s highest court, and participated in the Electoral Commission that settled the disputed presidential election of 1876.

Early life and legal career

Strong was born in Somers, Connecticut, the eldest of eleven children of William Lightbourn Strong and Harriet (Deming) Strong. The family later relocated to Pennsylvania, where Young Strong began his formal education at Monson Academy in Massachusetts before enrolling at Yale University. He graduated from Yale in 1828 as a member of Brothers in Unity and Phi Beta Kappa. While teaching school in Burlington, New Jersey, he studied law under Garret D. Wall and completed a six‑month course at Yale Law School. After admission to the bar, he established a legal practice in Reading, Pennsylvania, where he worked from 1832 until 1857.

Strong’s public service began with his election to the United States House of Representatives in 1846 as an abolitionist Democrat representing Pennsylvania. He served two terms (1847–1851), during which he chaired the Committee on Elections in his second term. Choosing not to seek reelection in 1850, he returned to private practice.

In 1857, Strong was elected to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania as a Democrat, succeeding James Armstrong. Shortly after assuming the bench, he aligned with the Republican Party. He served on that court until 1868, when he resigned to resume a lucrative legal practice in Philadelphia.

Strong’s reputation earned him election to the American Philosophical Society in 1866, recognizing his contributions to law and public affairs.

Supreme Court tenure

Following the retirement of Justice Robert C. Grier in early 1870, President Ulysses S. Grant nominated Strong to fill the vacancy on the United States Supreme Court. The Senate confirmed him on February 18 1870; he was sworn into office on March 14 1870 and held seat SCT0405 until his retirement on December 14 1880.

During his decade on the Court, Strong authored majority opinions in several cases that addressed civil rights and state authority during Reconstruction. Notably, he wrote the opinion in *Strauder v. West Virginia* (1879), a case concerning equal protection principles. He also participated in decisions involving the Enforcement Act of 1870 and the Civil Rights Act of 1866.

In addition to his judicial work, Strong served on the Electoral Commission convened to resolve the contested presidential election of 1876. As one of five justices on the commission, he voted with the Republican majority to award all disputed electoral votes to Rutherford B. Hayes, thereby ensuring Hayes’s presidency.

After retiring from the Supreme Court in December 1880—despite remaining in good health—Strong returned to private legal practice and engaged in religious causes until his death.

Jurisprudence and legacy

Strong’s judicial philosophy reflected a commitment to state sovereignty and a cautious approach to federal intervention in civil rights matters. In *Blyew v. United States* he ruled against the Civil Rights Act of 1866, emphasizing limits on federal power over states’ domestic affairs. Conversely, in *United States v. Given* he upheld an indictment under the Enforcement Act of 1870 when election officials impeded black voters, affirming that Congress could enact legislation to protect constitutional rights when a state failed to do so.

Beyond his opinions, Strong’s legacy includes his role on the Electoral Commission of 1876, which helped avert a potential national crisis by resolving contested electoral votes. His participation in this commission underscored the judiciary’s capacity to mediate political disputes at the highest level.

After leaving the bench, Strong served as an arbitrator for an international dispute between Haiti and the United States, issuing an award on June 13 1885 that addressed claims of damages by American citizens against the Haitian government. He also presided over the National Reform Association from 1868 to 1873, advocating for a formal declaration of the United States as a Christian nation and supporting legislative efforts to incorporate religious references into the Constitution’s preamble.

Strong’s influence extended into the realm of federal legislation through his collaboration with Anthony Comstock and Cephas Brainerd in refining language that would become part of the Comstock Act of 1873, a statute regulating obscene materials distributed by the postal service.

William Strong died at Lake Minnewaska in Ulster County, New York, on August 19 1895. Funeral services were held at the chapel of Charles Evans Cemetery in Reading, Pennsylvania, where he was subsequently interred. His papers and related artifacts are preserved in collections such as those of the Historical Society of Berks County.

Strong’s career spanned legislative service, state and federal judiciary roles, electoral dispute resolution, and post‑judicial civic engagement, marking him as a significant figure in 19th‑century American legal history.