James C. Jones
Encyclopedia
James Chamberlain Jones (April 20, 1809 October 29, 1859) was the Governor of Tennessee from 1841 to 1845, and a United States Senator
from that state from 1851 to 1857. While governor he was a Whig and was initially elected to the Senate as a Whig
; however while in that body he switched parties, leaving the moribund Whigs for the Democrats.
was "Lean Jimmy" (he stood 6' 2" but weighed only 130 pounds), Jones was born in Davidson County, Tennessee
and was the first native-born Tennessean to be elected governor
. He had been educated as a lawyer
, but was farming in Wilson County when elected to the state legislature
in 1839. He opposed incumbent Governor James K. Polk
for reelection in 1841, defeating the future President
. He was said to have been the first Tennessee
politician to master the art of "stump" speaking (which often at the time literally consisted of delivering a speech from atop a freshly cut tree stump). When Polk opposed him for a second term in 1843, Jones defeated him again.
While he was governor, Nashville
, which had been serving as the temporary capital of the state for years (as had several other places before it) was officially selected as the capital city of Tennessee on a permanent basis. Prominent architect William Strickland
, a student of Benjamin Latrobe
, was selected to design a Capitol building, and the cornerstone for it was actually laid while Jones was still governor. However, Jones did not seek a third term, choosing instead to accept an offer to become president of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad. He was an elector for Zachary Taylor
in the U.S. presidential election of 1848. He later served one term in the United States Senate, from 1851 to 1857. After this, he retired to his farm
near Memphis
, where he died. He was interred in Elmwood Cemetery
.
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from that state from 1851 to 1857. While governor he was a Whig and was initially elected to the Senate as a Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
; however while in that body he switched parties, leaving the moribund Whigs for the Democrats.
Biography
A thin man whose nicknameNickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
was "Lean Jimmy" (he stood 6' 2" but weighed only 130 pounds), Jones was born in Davidson County, Tennessee
Davidson County, Tennessee
Davidson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 626,681. Its county seat is Nashville.In 1963, the City of Nashville and the Davidson County government merged, so the county government is now known as the "Metropolitan Government of Nashville and...
and was the first native-born Tennessean to be elected governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
. He had been educated as a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, but was farming in Wilson County when elected to the state legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
in 1839. He opposed incumbent Governor James K. Polk
James K. Polk
James Knox Polk was the 11th President of the United States . Polk was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He later lived in and represented Tennessee. A Democrat, Polk served as the 17th Speaker of the House of Representatives and the 12th Governor of Tennessee...
for reelection in 1841, defeating the future President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. He was said to have been the first Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
politician to master the art of "stump" speaking (which often at the time literally consisted of delivering a speech from atop a freshly cut tree stump). When Polk opposed him for a second term in 1843, Jones defeated him again.
While he was governor, Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, which had been serving as the temporary capital of the state for years (as had several other places before it) was officially selected as the capital city of Tennessee on a permanent basis. Prominent architect William Strickland
William Strickland (architect)
William Strickland , was a noted architect in nineteenth-century Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Nashville, Tennessee.-Life and career:...
, a student of Benjamin Latrobe
Benjamin Latrobe
Benjamin Henry Boneval Latrobe was a British-born American neoclassical architect best known for his design of the United States Capitol, along with his work on the Baltimore Basilica, the first Roman Catholic Cathedral in the United States...
, was selected to design a Capitol building, and the cornerstone for it was actually laid while Jones was still governor. However, Jones did not seek a third term, choosing instead to accept an offer to become president of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad. He was an elector for Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass...
in the U.S. presidential election of 1848. He later served one term in the United States Senate, from 1851 to 1857. After this, he retired to his farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
near Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, where he died. He was interred in Elmwood Cemetery
Elmwood Cemetery (Memphis, Tennessee)
Historic Elmwood Cemetery is the oldest active cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee. It was established in 1852 as one of the first rural garden cemeteries in the South.-Origins:...
.
External links
- James C. Jones at Find A GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...
- Tennessee State Library & Archives, Papers of Governor James Chamberlain Jones, 1841-1845