James B. Bowlin

James B. Bowlin

James Butler Bowlin (born January 16, 1804 in Fredericksburg , Virginia , †  July 19, 1874 in St. Louis , Missouri ) was an American politician . Between 1843 and 1851 he represented the state of Missouri in the US House of Representatives .

Career

James Bowlin received a good education and began a commercial apprenticeship, which he broke off to work as a teacher. In 1825 he moved to Lewisburg in what is now West Virginia . After studying law and being admitted to the bar in 1826, he began to work in this profession. In 1833 Bowlin moved his residence and law firm to St. Louis, Missouri. There he also founded the newspaper "Farmers and Mecanics Advocate". In 1836 he was employed as chief clerk in the administration in the Missouri House of Representatives . Politically, Bowlin was a member of the Democratic Party . In 1836 and 1837 he was a member of the state parliament himself. In 1837, Bowlin became a St. Louis District Attorney; between 1839 and 1842 he worked as a criminal judge.

In the 1842 congressional election , Bowlin was elected to the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC , in the first constituency of Missouri , where he succeeded John Miller on March 4, 1843 . After three re-elections, he was able to complete four legislative terms in Congress by March 3, 1851 . During this time the Mexican-American War fell . From 1845 to 1847 Bowlin chaired the committee that dealt with private land claims. From 1849 he headed the State Land Administration Committee.

In the 1850 elections, Bowlin lost to John Fletcher Darby of the Whig Party . After leaving the US House of Representatives, he worked in the federal government's diplomatic service for several years. In December 1854 he was appointed envoy to New Granada to succeed James S. Green ; between 1858 and 1859 he was the American agent in Paraguay . After that he worked as a lawyer again. James Bowlin died on July 19, 1874 in St. Louis.

Web links

• James B. Bowlin in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

• James B. Bowlin in the database of Find a Grave (English)