James F. Simmons
Encyclopedia
James Fowler Simmons was a United States Senator from Rhode Island
. Born on a farm near Little Compton
, he attended a private school in Newport
and moved to Providence
in 1812. He was employed in various manufacturing concerns in Rhode Island and Massachusetts
and engaged in the manufacture of yarn at Simmonsville, New Hampshire in 1822. He moved to Johnston, Rhode Island
in 1827 and resumed the manufacture of yarns and engaged in agricultural pursuits; he was a member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives
from 1828 to 1841, and was elected as a Whig
to the U.S. Senate and served from March 4, 1841, to March 4, 1847. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1846 and for election in 1850 to the United States Senate; while in the Senate, he was chairman of the Committee on Manufactures (Twenty-seventh and Twenty-eighth Congresses) and a member of the Committee on Printing (Twenty-seventh and Twenty-eighth Congresses).
Simmons returned to Johnston and resumed his former pursuits. He was again elected to the United States Senate as a Republican
and served from March 4, 1857, through the first year of the American Civil War
to August 15, 1862, when he resigned. He was chairman of the Committee on Patents and the Patent Office during the Thirty-seventh Congress. He resumed his former manufacturing pursuits and in 1864 died in Johnston; interment was in North End Cemetery, Providence.
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
. Born on a farm near Little Compton
Little Compton, Rhode Island
Little Compton is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. Its population was 3,492 at the time of the 2010 census. Little Compton is located in southeastern Rhode Island, between the Sakonnet River and the Massachusetts state border...
, he attended a private school in Newport
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
and moved to Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
in 1812. He was employed in various manufacturing concerns in Rhode Island and Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
and engaged in the manufacture of yarn at Simmonsville, New Hampshire in 1822. He moved to Johnston, Rhode Island
Johnston, Rhode Island
Johnston is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 28,769 at the 2010 census. Johnston is the site of the Clemence Irons House a stone-ender museum and the only landfill in Rhode Island...
in 1827 and resumed the manufacture of yarns and engaged in agricultural pursuits; he was a member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives
Rhode Island House of Representatives
The Rhode Island House of Representatives is the lower house of the Rhode Island General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. State of Rhode Island. It is composed of 75 members, elected to two year terms from 75 districts of equal population. The Rhode Island General Assembly does not have...
from 1828 to 1841, and was elected 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...
to the U.S. Senate and served from March 4, 1841, to March 4, 1847. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1846 and for election in 1850 to the United States Senate; while in the Senate, he was chairman of the Committee on Manufactures (Twenty-seventh and Twenty-eighth Congresses) and a member of the Committee on Printing (Twenty-seventh and Twenty-eighth Congresses).
Simmons returned to Johnston and resumed his former pursuits. He was again elected to the United States Senate as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
and served from March 4, 1857, through the first year of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
to August 15, 1862, when he resigned. He was chairman of the Committee on Patents and the Patent Office during the Thirty-seventh Congress. He resumed his former manufacturing pursuits and in 1864 died in Johnston; interment was in North End Cemetery, Providence.
External links
- James F. Simmons 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:...