The son of George Ewing and Rachel Harris, Thomas
settled in Ohio where he practiced law. Following the death of his
friend and neighbor, Judge Charles Robert Sherman, Thomas and his wife Maria
took in the Shermans' third son, Tecumseh, who, under Maria's strong Roman
Catholic influence, adopted the baptismal name William. Entering politics,
Thomas represented Ohio in the U.S. Senate from 1831 to 1837. He served as
Secretary of the Treasury under William Henry Harrison and John Tyler, but
was part of the mass Cabinet resignation in protest of Tyler's policies. Under
Zachary Taylor, he was appointed the first Secretary of the Interior in March
of 1849, but resigned in July of 1850 to accept appointment to the
U.S. Senate to fill a vacancy. Thomas was defeated for reelection the following
year, and resumed his law practice.
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