James Wilson (politician, 1779)

James Wilson (born April 28, 1779 in Millerstown , Perry County , Pennsylvania , †  July 19, 1868 in Gettysburg , Pennsylvania) was an American politician . Between 1823 and 1829 he represented the state of Pennsylvania in the US House of Representatives .

Career

James Wilson attended the public schools in his home country and then completed an apprenticeship as a cabinet maker. He later also worked in retail and the real estate industry. Between 1811 and 1822 he served as justice of the peace in his homeland. Politically, he became a member of the Democratic Republican Party . In the 1820s he joined the movement around the future President Andrew Jackson .

In the 1822 congressional election , Wilson was elected to the Eleventh constituency of Pennsylvania to the House of Representatives in Washington, DC , where he succeeded George Plumer on March 4, 1823 . After two re-elections, he was able to complete three legislative terms in Congress by March 3, 1829 . The period after 1825 was marked by heated discussions between the supporters of Andrew Jackson and those of President John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay .

From 1830 to 1859, James Wilson was again active as a justice of the peace in his homeland. He also continued to work in the real estate industry. He died on July 19, 1868 in Gettysburg, where he was also buried.

Web links

• James Wilson in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)
• James Wilson in the database of Find a Grave (English)

predecessor	Office	successor
George Plumer	United States House Representative for Pennsylvania (11th constituency) with John Findlay March 4, 1823 - March 3, 1829	Thomas Hartley Crawford