1886年生，原名董贤琮，别名 董用威，字洁畲，号壁伍。湖北黄安(今红安)人。

1903年考取秀才。

1905年考入湖北“文普通”学堂，1910年毕业，获清朝学部授予的拔贡学衔。后在黄州任教员。

1911年参加了辛亥革命,同年加入中国同盟会。

1914年考入日本东京“私立日本大学”学习法律，在日本加入孙中山创建的中华革命党。

1915年6月回国从事反袁活动，两次被捕入狱。

1916年出狱后再度赴日本。

1918年回国，参加护法运动。

1919年在上海参加了5 四运动，后创办武汉中学，教授国文。

1920年秋在武汉建立共产主义小组。

1921年7月出席中国共产党第1 次全国代表大会，是武汉小组代表。随后建立和发展湖北省的党组织，任中共武汉区委委员，湖北民 运部部长，湖北省委委员。第1 次国共合作时领导筹建了国民党湖北省党部，并任湖北省国民党工作委员会主任，国民党地方 候补委员。

1928年赴莫斯科中山大学、列宁学院学习。

1932年回国，在江西地方 革命根据地，历任中共地方 党校校长，地方 党务委员会书记，地方 工农民主政府履行 委员，最高法院院长，工农检察委员会副主任。

1934年10月参加长征。到陕北后，任中共地方 党校校长，陕甘宁边区政府代理主席。抗日和平 时期和抗克服 利后，是中国共产党同国民党谈判的代表之1 。

1945年代表解放区参加旧金山联合国制宪会议。曾任中共地方 南方局副书记，中共重庆工委书记，中共地方 财经部长，华北局书记，华北人民政府主席。

建国后，历任地方 财经委员会主任，政务院副总理，政务院政法委员会主任，最高人民法院院长，全国政协副主席，中共地方 监察委员会书记，中华人民共和国副主席、代主席。1975年1月任第四届全国人大常委会副委员长。是中共六届地方 委员，七、八、九届地方 政治局委员，十届地方 政治局常委。

出版有《董必武全集 》、《董必武政治法律文集》、《董必武诗选》、《董必武年谱》。

1975年4月2日在北京逝世，长年 90岁。

 Born in 1886, formerly known as Dong Xiancong, also known as Dong Yongwei, the word Yu Jie, Wu on the wall. Hubei Huang An (now Hong'an) people.

In 1903 a scholar.

"The general" in 1905 admitted to the Hubei school, graduating in 1910, was awarded the title of the Qing bagong. After the teacher in Huangzhou.

In 1911, participated in the revolution of 1911, joined the Chinese Alliance in the same year.

1914 was admitted to Tokyo, Japan, private Nihon University study law, in Japan to join the Chinese Revolutionary Party created by Sun Zhongshan.

Returned in June 1915 to engage in anti yuan activities, two arrested in prison.

After his release from prison in 1916 once again went to japan.

Back in 1918, to participate in the movement to protect.

In 1919 the May 4th Movement in Shanghai, after the founder of the Wuhan school, Professor of chinese.

The establishment of a Communist group in Wuhan in the fall of 1920.

July 1921 to attend the first National Congress of the Communist Party of China, is the representative of the Wuhan group. The development of Party organizations in Hubei province and the subsequent establishment of the CPC Wuhan District Committee, Hubei democratic Secretary of Hubei provincial committee. During the first KMT-CPC cooperation to build the leadership of Hubei provincial headquarters of the Kuomintang, and served as director of Hubei Provincial Working Committee of the Kuomintang, the KMT Central committee.

1928 went to Moscow, Zhongshan University, Lenin College study.

Back in 1932, Jiangxi in the central revolutionary base, served as president of the Central Party school, Party Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, the central government worker peasant democratic Executive Committee, President of the Supreme Court, deputy director of the Procuratorial Committee of workers and peasants.

October 1934 to participate in the long march. To the Northern Shaanxi, President of the Central Party school, deputy chairman of the Shaanxi Gansu Ningxia border region government. After the war of resistance against Japan and the victory of the war of resistance against Japan, it was one of the representatives of the Chinese Communist Party and the Kuomintang.

In 1945 the United Nations in San Francisco on behalf of the Jiefang District convention. Served as Deputy Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPC Central Committee, Secretary of the CPC Chongqing Committee, Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, Secretary of North China Bureau, and chairman of the people's Government of North china.

After the founding of the PRC, served as director of the central financial and Economic Committee, Deputy Prime Minister of the Government Administration Council, director of government affairs committee, President of the Supreme People's court, the vice chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, vice chairman of People's Republic of China, on behalf of the president. January 1975 term of the Fourth National People's Congress vice chairman. Is the six Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, seven or eight, the nine Central Committee of the Political Bureau, the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Ten Session of the CPC Central committee.

The publication of "Dong Biwu anthology", "Dong Biwu anthology", political and legal "Dong Biwu poems," Dong Biwu chronicle ".

Died in Beijing in April 2, 1975, he was 90 years old.