James Iredell

James Iredell

James Iredell, Jr (born November 2, 1788 in Chowan County , North Carolina , † April 13, 1853 ) was an American politician and the 23rd governor of North Carolina.

Early years and political advancement

His father, James Iredell, was one of the first justices on the United States Supreme Court. James Iredell lost his parents very early and was raised by his uncle, the former Governor Samuel Johnston, after his father's death in 1799. He attended Edenton Academy and the College of New Jersey, later Princeton University . After studying law and being admitted to the bar, he opened a law firm in Edenton. During the war of 1812 he was a captain. He helped with his unit in the defense of Norfolk in Virginia against the British.

After his military service, he decided to go into politics. He was first elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives in 1813 . After a political break from 1814 to 1815, he returned to parliament in 1816 and remained a member of parliament until 1828. From 1817 he was also President of the House (Speaker) and in 1819 he was also a judge at the Higher Regional Court (Superior Court).

North Carolina Governor and US Senator

In December 1827 he was elected governor by the House of Representatives to succeed Hutchins Gordon Burton . Iredell was only elected for a one-year term. On December 8, 1827 he took up his new office. He campaigned for the expansion of the infrastructure. A special focus here was the transport sector. On the eve of the railroad age, he helped build a test line from Campbellton to Fayetteville . It was a response to the then-talked about version of a horse-drawn train. In addition, he campaigned for the further expansion of the education system.

After serving as governor of North Carolina, he was elected to the US Senate as a supporter of Andrew Jackson . There he served from 1828 to 1831. In 1836 and 1837 he was on a commission that revised the laws of North Carolina. His last public office was as clerk at the North Carolina Supreme Court. James Iredell died in April 1853. He was married to Frances Johnston Treadwell, with whom he had nine children.

literature

• Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Volume 2, Meckler Books, Westport, Conn. 1978, 4 volumes

Web links

• James Iredell in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)
• James Iredell in the National Governor Association (English)

• James Iredell in the database of Find a Grave (English)