James Nelson Barker
Encyclopedia
James Nelson Barker was an American soldier
, playwright
, and politician
. He rose to major in the army during the War of 1812
, wrote ten plays, and served as mayor of Philadelphia.
, the son of John Barker
, who also served as a mayor of the city.
At the onset of the War of 1812
, he was appointed captain of artillery
, and in 1813 he commanded Fort Mifflin
. He raised two companies of artillery and marched with them to the Canadian border.
In 1814, he was severely wounded in a duel. When peace returned in 1814, he was assistant adjutant-general of the 4th military district, with the rank of major, till 1817. He then entered civil life, and was chosen alderman.
Barker wrote ten plays, five of which have survived in print. He set aside his writing when he was elected mayor of Philadelphia in 1819. He returned to the theatre in 1824 with his last play, Superstition; or, The Fanatic Father.
Thereafter, Barker devoted himself to public service, and from 1829 till 1838 he was collector of customs for the port. In 1838, President Martin Van Buren
appointed him comptroller of the Treasury, and with slight interruptions he worked in the Treasury Department until his death. He died in Washington, D.C.
in 1858.
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
, playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He rose to major in the army during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, wrote ten plays, and served as mayor of Philadelphia.
Life
Barker was born in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, the son of John Barker
John Barker (Philadelphia)
Major General John Barker was twice mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by trade a tailor.Barker served in the Revolutionary War and remained active in the military through 1808, when he retired as Major General of the First Brigade, First Division.He served twice as sheriff of Philadelphia, from...
, who also served as a mayor of the city.
At the onset of the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, he was appointed captain of artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
, and in 1813 he commanded Fort Mifflin
Fort Mifflin
Fort Mifflin, originally called Fort Island Battery and also known as Mud Island Fort, was commissioned in 1771 and sits on Mud Island on the Delaware River below Philadelphia, Pennsylvania near Philadelphia International Airport...
. He raised two companies of artillery and marched with them to the Canadian border.
In 1814, he was severely wounded in a duel. When peace returned in 1814, he was assistant adjutant-general of the 4th military district, with the rank of major, till 1817. He then entered civil life, and was chosen alderman.
Barker wrote ten plays, five of which have survived in print. He set aside his writing when he was elected mayor of Philadelphia in 1819. He returned to the theatre in 1824 with his last play, Superstition; or, The Fanatic Father.
Thereafter, Barker devoted himself to public service, and from 1829 till 1838 he was collector of customs for the port. In 1838, President Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren was the eighth President of the United States . Before his presidency, he was the eighth Vice President and the tenth Secretary of State, under Andrew Jackson ....
appointed him comptroller of the Treasury, and with slight interruptions he worked in the Treasury Department until his death. He died in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in 1858.
Plays
- Tears and Smiles (1807), comedy.
- The Embargo; or, What News? (1808), drama. Barker's drama in support of the Embargo Acts and the JeffersonThomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
administration provoked riots when it was performed in Philadelphia. - The Indian Princess; or, La Belle Sauvage (1808), comedy, with music by John Bray. with songs about the Pocahontas story. It was the first play about American Indians by an American playwright and the first play produced in America to be performed in England, where in 1820 it was offered at Drury LaneDrury LaneDrury Lane is a street on the eastern boundary of the Covent Garden area of London, running between Aldwych and High Holborn. The northern part is in the borough of Camden and the southern part in the City of Westminster....
as Pocahontas; or, The Indian Princess. - Marmion; or, The Battle of Flodden Field (1812), a blank-verse dramatization of Sir Walter Scott's poem. It was initially purposefully attributed to English dramatist Thomas MortonThomas MortonThomas Morton may refer to:* Tom Morton , Scottish journalist, author and BBC Radio Scotland broadcaster* Thomas Morton , Bishop of Durham and Chester in the 17th century...
, out of fear of disregard for a play by an American. It went on to great success and was staged until as late as 1848. - How to Try a Lover (1817), drama. An adaptation of the French picaresque novel La folie espagnole by Charles Pigault-Lebrun (1753–1835). It was not produced until 1836 as The Court of Love.
- The Armourer's Escape; or, Three Years at Nootka Sound (1817), drama. It was based on the real-life adventures of John Jewitt, who played himself at the premiere.
- Superstition; or, The Fanatic Father (1824), tragedy. Produced at the Chestnut Street TheatreChestnut Street TheatreThe Chestnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was the first theater in the United States built by entrepreneurs solely as a venue for paying audiences.-The New Theatre :...
, 1824. - The Spanish Rover (not published or produced)
- America - a Masque (not published or produced)
Other
- An oration delivered at Philadelphia Vauxhall Gardens, on the forty-first anniversary of American independence. Published in 1817, Printed by John Binns (Philadelphia)
- A Sketch of the Primitive Settlements on Delaware River (1827), non-fiction.