Silas Woodson was born in Kentucky and became a prominent lawyer, gaining a reputation as a trial lawyer. He was nominated by President Abraham Lincoln as Chief Justice of the Idaho Territorial Supreme Court, though his nomination was initially rejected by the Senate. Woodson later secured a recess appointment to the position but resigned before assuming the role. He transitioned into politics, winning a Senate seat and later serving as governor, where he advocated for public education and faced legal challenges involving state debt and Civil War-era certificates.

Silas Woodson's political career is marked by a blend of ideological rigidity and calculated pragmatism, particularly in his defense of common schools and his legal battles over state debt. His staunch opposition to slavery and subsequent departure from Kentucky underscore a principled stand that contrasts with his nuanced approach to state economic issues. Woodson's legal victory against Pacific Railroad, only to be overturned by the Supreme Court, highlights a tension between state rights and federal authority.