William Carroll was born on March 3, 1788 on a farm near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States; the son of Thomas and Mary Montgomery Carroll. Thomas Carroll, a Revolutionary soldier, had moved from Maryland to Pennsylvania where he and Albert Gallatin were joint owners of a nail factory.
William's early education, apparently, was meager, but he had ability, perseverance, and ambition, and such of his papers as are in existence show that he possessed an unusual clarity and vigor of thought and expression.
In Pittsburgh Carroll was a merchant, and after moving to Nashville, Tennessee, about 1810, he continued for some years in the mercantile business. In Tennessee he quickly became the friend of Andrew Jackson.
During the Creek War he served with the rank of colonel, fought with great bravery against the Indians, was wounded slightly at the battle of Horse Shoe Bend, and received warm praise from Jackson. Later in 1814 when the latter was appointed major-general in the United States army, Carroll was elected to succeed him as major-general of the Tennessee militia. When the British threatened to invade Louisiana, Carroll raised a force of volunteers, transported them down the Cumberland, the Ohio, and the Mississippi, and arrived in time to give Jackson invaluable aid in repulsing the British in the battle of New Orleans. For the next few years Carroll devoted himself to his business, but suffered severe financial losses during the depression of 1819. In 1821 he entered political life as a candidate for the office of governor. The campaign was an exciting one. His opponent, Edward Ward, was a man of wealth and superior education, and Carroll was represented as the people's candidate. He was elected by a large majority, and in 1823 and 1825 he was reelected without opposition. The state constitution prohibited a fourth consecutive term, but in 1829, 1831, and 1833, Carroll was again elected governor without opposition.
Possessed of the confidence and support of the masses of the voters, he had an unusually strong influence in the legislature. He opposed successfully the popular demand for legislative interference between debtor and creditor and recommended personal economy as the remedy for the ills of the debtors. He urged a resumption of specie payments, sound banking laws, and the repeal of the act which prohibited the establishment of a branch of the United States Bank in Tennessee. He recommended a reformation of the judicial system, the abolishment of the whipping post and the pillory, the building of a penitentiary, the development of a system of internal improvements, and the establishment of a system of public instruction for all of the children of the state. The last year of his administration saw the adoption by the state of a new and more democratic constitution, an action that was thoroughly in accord with the spirit of his administrations. Under this new constitution in 1835, he sought election to a seventh term as governor. The state was now divided into two bitter political factions, the supporters of Van Buren's candidacy for the presidency and the champions of Hugh Lawson White for that office. Carroll gave his support to the Jackson-Van Buren faction and his defeat by Newton Cannon foreshadowed the future domination of the state by the Whig party. Carroll now desired but failed to secure appointment as minister to Mexico. Yet he continued until his death an active supporter of the Democratic party in Tennessee.
He died on March 22, 1844, and is interred at Nashville City Cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee.
Carroll served as governor of Tennessee longer than anyone else has to this point, even fellow six-term governor Sevier. Sevier's first term was unusually short due to the time of year of the admission of Tennessee into the Union. Carroll's gubernatorial service totaled twelve years and twelve days.
He was married to Cecilia Bradford, and they raised four children.
