Career
Born free in the United States in 1799, he immigrated as a Methodist preacher from St. Petersburg, Virginia to Liberia in 1823. Williams served as the Colonial Agent for the American Colonization Society from 1837 to 1839. During his tenure, the colony of Mississippi-in-Africa was established.
In the 1849 elections, Williams ran for vice president against incumbent Nathaniel Brander.
The failure of any candidate to secure a majority of the vote led the race to be thrown to the House of Representatives, which chose Williams as vice president He died in 1860.
