William Burnham Woods

William Burnham Woods
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
In office January 5, 1881 – May 14, 1887
Nominated by	Rutherford Hayes
Preceded by	William Strong
Succeeded by	Lucius Lamar
Judge of the United States Circuit Court for the Fifth Circuit
In office December 22, 1869 – December 21, 1880
Nominated by	Ulysses Grant
Preceded by	Seat established
Succeeded by	Don Pardee
Personal details
Born	(1824-08-03)August 3, 1824 Newark, Ohio, U.S.
Died	May 14, 1887(1887-05-14) (aged 62) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political party	Democratic (before 1863) Republican (1863–1887)
Relatives	Charles R. Woods (brother)
Education	Yale University (BA)
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States Union
Branch/service	United States Army Union Army
Years of service	1862–1866
Rank	Brigadier General Brevet Major General
Commands	76th Ohio Infantry XV Corps
Battles/wars	American Civil War Battle of Shiloh Siege of Vicksburg Atlanta Campaign Savannah Campaign Carolinas Campaign Battle of Bentonville

William Burnham Woods (August 3, 1824 – May 14, 1887) was an American jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. An appointee of President Rutherford B. Hayes, he served from 1881 until 1887. He wrote the majority opinion in United States v. Harris, involving the constitutionality of the Ku Klux Klan Act, and Presser v. Illinois, involving the application of the Second Amendment to the states; both cases adopted a narrow interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment. He dissented rarely and wrote mostly uncontroversial opinions, and he has been largely forgotten by history.

Born in Newark, Ohio, Woods received his degree from Yale University. He practiced law in Newark and entered politics, soon rising to be the speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives. A Democrat, he initially opposed the Lincoln administration's policies but supported the Union once the Civil War broke out. He joined the Union army as an officer, participating in a number of battles; after his discharge as a brevet major general in 1866, he settled in Alabama, where he practiced law and engaged in commercial activities.

In 1869, President Ulysses S. Grant appointed Woods a circuit judge for the Fifth Circuit, which covered six Southern states. In the Slaughter-House Cases and United States v. Cruikshank, he favored a broad interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment that contrasted with the narrower one he supported on the Supreme Court. In another case, he upheld "separate but equal" schools. Hayes nominated Woods to the Supreme Court in 1880, and he was confirmed by the Senate 39–8. On the Court, he was a diligent worker who wrote more opinions than any other associate justice during his six-year tenure. He was struck ill in spring 1886 and died in 1887.