James Lawrence Orr

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James Lawrence Orr

James Lawrence Orr (born May 12, 1822 in Craytonville , Anderson County , South Carolina , † May 5, 1873 in St. Petersburg , Russia ) was an American politician . He served from 1865 to 1868 as governor of the state of South Carolina, which he had previously represented in the US House of Representatives .

Congressman and Senator

James Orr studied at the University of Virginia between 1839 and 1842 . After his admission to the bar in 1843, he practiced in Anderson, South Carolina. At the same time he was editor of the newspaper "Anderson Gazette" for several years. Orr was a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1844 to 1848 . He was then a member of the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC for ten years from 1849 to 1859 . In 1857 and 1858 he was President of the House ( Speaker ). In 1851 he was a delegate to a southern convention and in 1856 and 1860 he was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention .

In early 1861, Orr was part of a commission that tried in vain to prevent the outbreak of civil war in Washington at the last minute . During the war he was senator in Konföderiertenkongress in Richmond ( Virginia ). He also took part in the civil war with a regiment that he had set up himself. James Orr was also a member of the convention that drafted a new constitution for South Carolina after the war.

Governor of south carolina

On October 18, 1865, the first direct gubernatorial elections took place in South Carolina according to the new constitution. Until then, the state parliament had elected the governors by secret ballot. James Orr won the election with 51.8% of the vote against Wade Hampton , who got 48.3%. During his tenure, the state was under the military administration of the Union Army . Two senators who were supposed to represent South Carolina in Washington were not admitted to Congress because the state had not yet officially been re-admitted to the Union. During this time, the provisional constitution of 1865 was revised again. Orr had to grapple with the problems of the post-war period. This included the rebuilding of the destroyed state, including the infrastructure, and the integration of the former slaves. At that time, their rights were severely restricted by the so-called “ black codes ”.

Another résumé

After the revised Constitution was passed in 1868, Orr resigned from office. From 1868 to 1870 he was a judge in the 8th Judicial District of South Carolina. In 1872 he was selected by President Ulysses S. Grant as successor to Andrew Gregg Curtin to the United States Ambassador in Russia appointed. Just five months after taking office, he died in May 1873 in St. Petersburg.

literature

  • Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Volume 4. Meckler Books, Westport, CT, 1978. 4 volumes.
  • The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. Vol. 12. James T. White & Company, New York

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Orr, James Lawrence
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH May 12, 1822
PLACE OF BIRTH Craytonville , South Carolina
DATE OF DEATH May 5, 1873
Place of death St. Petersburg , Russia