James Alexander was a lawyer and statesman in colonial New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

. He served in the Colonial Assembly and as Attorney General of the colony in 1721-1723. His son William was later a Major General in the Continental Army

Continental Army

The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...

 during the American revolution

American Revolutionary War

The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...

. Alexandria Township, New Jersey

Alexandria Township, New Jersey

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 4,698 people, 1,535 households, and 1,290 families residing in the township. The population density was 170.6 people per square mile . There were 1,598 housing units at an average density of 58.0 per square mile...

 was named after James Alexander.

Early life

Alexander was born in Muthill in Pertshire, Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 about 1690 to David Alexander ("of Muthil") . He entered the army and served as an Engineering officer. But, in 1714-1715 he joined the uprising in support of the Jacobite Pretender

James Francis Edward Stuart

James Francis Edward, Prince of Wales was the son of the deposed James II of England...

, and fled to America in 1715 when it failed. He settled in New York, and some time after his arrival in America, married a wealthy widow. His prior experience and political connections qualified him to become the surveyor for Perth Amboy, New Jersey

Perth Amboy, New Jersey

Perth Amboy is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. The City of Perth Amboy is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 50,814. Perth Amboy is known as the "City by the Bay", referring to Raritan Bay.-Name:The Lenape...

 in 1718. Shortly afterward he was appointed surveyor for New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 and New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

 and surveyed the boundary between New York and New Jersey. He was also appointed deputy-secretary of New York at about this time.

Legal career

Alexander read law in New York and was admitted to the provincial bar of New Jersey in 1723. He served as Attorney General for the colony of New York from 1721 to 1723 and also served as Attorney General for New Jersey. He practiced law, engaged in mercantile pursuits, and built a considerable fortune. He also served many terms in the Colonial Assembly and was appointed to the Governor's Council. In 1725 he attempted to reform New Jersey's legal system to eliminate procedural delays. In 1727 he resigned as attorney-general of New Jersey.

Alexander was strongly opposed to New York Governor William Cosby. In 1732 Gov. Cosby succeeded through vigorous lobbying to have Alexander removed from the Council of New York. In 1733, Alexander started an anti-Cosby newspaper, the New-York Weekly Journal, with Peter Zenger

John Peter Zenger

John Peter Zenger was a German-American printer, publisher, editor, and journalist in New York City. He was a defendant in a landmark legal case in American jurisprudence that determined that truth was a defense against charges of libel and "laid the foundation for American press freedom."-...

 as publisher. Critical editorials infuriated Cosby. The following year, Zenger was arrested on sedition

Sedition

In law, sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that is deemed by the legal authority to tend toward insurrection against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent to lawful authority. Sedition may include any...

 charges, but eventually a jury acquitted Zenger in one of the first instances of jury nullification

Jury nullification

Jury nullification occurs in a trial when a jury reaches a verdict contrary to the judge's instructions as to the law.A jury verdict contrary to the letter of the law pertains only to the particular case before it; however, if a pattern of acquittals develops in response to repeated attempts to...

. Alexander and William Smith served as Zenger's attorneys until both were disbarred after they challenged the commissions of the judges hearing the case. In 1735 Alexander was removed from the Council of New Jersey as well.

Alexander was in less disfavor after Cosby's death in 1736. When Lord De La Warr was appointed governor in 1737, he was reinstated. He was readmitted to the bar and was reappointed to the governor's Council of New York. His removal from the Council of New Jersey was disregarded. Alexander became a vocal proponent of the emerging Whig political views, and engaged in various civic efforts as well. In 1743 he joined Franklin

Benjamin Franklin

Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...

 and others in founding to American Philosophical Society

American Philosophical Society

The American Philosophical Society, founded in 1743, and located in Philadelphia, Pa., is an eminent scholarly organization of international reputation, that promotes useful knowledge in the sciences and humanities through excellence in scholarly research, professional meetings, publications,...

. In 1751 he raised funds to establish King's College

Columbia University

Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...

.

Although he remained active in politics, his legal practice eventually absorbed most of his time and energy, and his political involvement waned. However, in 1756 he traveled to Albany to confer with other Whig leaders and to oppose a measure that would have proven onerous to the people of New York. He suffered a flare up of his gout which led to a deterioration of his health. He came home ill as a result and died in Albany or New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

on April 2, 1756.