James F. Wilson

James Falconer Wilson

James Falconer Wilson (born October 19, 1828 in Newark , Ohio , †  April 22, 1895 in Fairfield , Iowa ) was an American politician ( Republican Party ) who represented the state of Iowa in both chambers of Congress .

Lawyer and state politician

After graduating from high school, Wilson studied law , was inducted into the bar in 1851, and began practicing in Newark. In 1853 he moved to Fairfield, Iowa.

In 1857 he was a member of the Iowa Constitutional Convention before starting his career as a member of Parliament. He was a member of the Iowa House of Representatives in 1857 and 1859 and a State Senator from 1859 to 1861.

In Congress

In 1861, Wilson was elected to the US House of Representatives as the successor to the resigned Samuel Curtis . There he stood up during his tenure, which lasted until March 3, 1869, for civil rights and was one of the opponents of President Andrew Johnson . He opposed his veto on the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the Reconstruction ; he voted for Johnson's impeachment during the impeachment trial and served on the prosecution staff at the hearings on the case.

Johnson's successor as president, Ulysses S. Grant , offered Wilson the office of US Secretary of State ; However, this refused and instead became government director of the Union Pacific Railroad . In 1872 he ran unsuccessfully for the US Senate ; Another attempt in 1882 was crowned with success. Wilson was a member of the Senate after re-election from March 4, 1883 to March 3, 1895. During this time he was, among other things, chairman of the Mining Committee ( Committee on Mines and Mining ). James Wilson died in Fairfield just a few weeks after leaving Congress.

Web links

• James F. Wilson in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

• James F. Wilson in the database of Find a Grave (English)