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James Jackson (politician)
Encyclopedia
James "Left Eye" Jackson (September 21, 1757 – March 19, 1806) was an early Georgia
politician
of the Democratic-Republican Party
. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from 1789 until 1791. He was also a U.S. Senator
from Georgia
from 1793 to 1795, and from 1801 until his death. In 1797 he was elected 23rd Governor of Georgia, serving from 1798 to 1801.
, Devon
shire, England
. He immigrated at age 15 with his family to Savannah, Georgia
in 1772. During the American Revolutionary War
, he served in the Georgia Militia
at the defense of Savannah, the Battle of Cowpens
, and the recapture of Augusta
and Savannah. As a young man, Jackson became well known as a duel
ist with a fiery temper.
. In 1788, Jackson was elected governor of Georgia, but declined the position, citing his inexperience.
In 1789, Jackson was elected to the First United States Congress. As a Jeffersonian Republican, he vigorously opposed Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton
's financial plans for federal assumption of the states' debts from the Revolutionary War. He was also strongly opposed to efforts to curtail slavery
. In the election of 1791, he was defeated for re-election to his seat by Anthony Wayne
. Jackson was convinced that Wayne had not won his seat fairly, so he mounted a campaign against Wayne and his supporters, finally succeeding in removing Wayne from Congress.
region, at extremely low prices to a group of investors. Jackson, believing that the sale was influenced by bribery of state legislatures, resigned his post in the Senate to run for a seat in the Georgia legislature in 1795.
He won the election and began to lead a campaign to repeal the Yazoo land sale. In 1798, he won the election for governor of Georgia and proceeded to implement the legislation repealing the Yazoo land sale. Jackson placed blame for the Yazoo land fraud on his political enemies, the Federalists
. He built the Georgia Democratic-Republican party and led it to statewide dominance.
Jackson was re-elected to the Senate in 1801 and served until his death in 1806. He is buried in the Congressional Cemetery
, a National Historic Landmark
in Washington, DC.
, was elected Representative from Georgia in the Twenty-fourth and Twenty-fifth United States Congress. James Jackson's grandson, also named James Jackson
, was a U.S. Representative from Georgia, a judge advocate on the staff of General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson
, and a trustee of the University of Georgia
.
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
of the Democratic-Republican Party
Democratic-Republican Party (United States)
The Democratic-Republican Party or Republican Party was an American political party founded in the early 1790s by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Political scientists use the former name, while historians prefer the latter one; contemporaries generally called the party the "Republicans", along...
. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from 1789 until 1791. He was also a U.S. Senator
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 Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
from 1793 to 1795, and from 1801 until his death. In 1797 he was elected 23rd Governor of Georgia, serving from 1798 to 1801.
Early life
Jackson was born in MoretonhampsteadMoretonhampstead
Moretonhampstead lies on the edge of Dartmoor and is notable for having the longest one-word name of any place in England. The parish church is dedicated to St. Andrew. George Oliver and John Pike Jones , 1828, Exeter: E. Woolmer. Moretonhampstead is twinned with Betton in France.-History:The...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
shire, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He immigrated at age 15 with his family to Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
in 1772. During the American Revolutionary War
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...
, he served in the Georgia Militia
1st Brigade Georgia Militia
The 1st Brigade Georgia Militia was raised for service with the Continental Army as part of the Georgia Militia. The regiment was disbanded....
at the defense of Savannah, the Battle of Cowpens
Battle of Cowpens
The Battle of Cowpens was a decisive victory by Patriot Revolutionary forces under Brigadier General Daniel Morgan, in the Southern campaign of the American Revolutionary War...
, and the recapture of Augusta
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...
and Savannah. As a young man, Jackson became well known as a duel
Duel
A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two individuals, with matched weapons in accordance with agreed-upon rules.Duels in this form were chiefly practised in Early Modern Europe, with precedents in the medieval code of chivalry, and continued into the modern period especially among...
ist with a fiery temper.
Career
After the war, he built up his law practice in Savannah. Jackson was elected to the first Georgia state legislatureGeorgia General Assembly
The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, being composed of the Georgia House of Representatives and the Georgia Senate....
. In 1788, Jackson was elected governor of Georgia, but declined the position, citing his inexperience.
In 1789, Jackson was elected to the First United States Congress. As a Jeffersonian Republican, he vigorously opposed Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton was a Founding Father, soldier, economist, political philosopher, one of America's first constitutional lawyers and the first United States Secretary of the Treasury...
's financial plans for federal assumption of the states' debts from the Revolutionary War. He was also strongly opposed to efforts to curtail slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
. In the election of 1791, he was defeated for re-election to his seat by Anthony Wayne
Anthony Wayne
Anthony Wayne was a United States Army general and statesman. Wayne adopted a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, where his military exploits and fiery personality quickly earned him a promotion to the rank of brigadier general and the sobriquet of Mad Anthony.-Early...
. Jackson was convinced that Wayne had not won his seat fairly, so he mounted a campaign against Wayne and his supporters, finally succeeding in removing Wayne from Congress.
Senator and Governor
Jackson was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1793. Meanwhile, the state of Georgia sold millions of acres of its western lands, called the YazooYazoo land scandal
The Yazoo land scandal, Yazoo fraud, Yazoo land fraud, or Yazoo land controversy was a massive fraud perpetrated from 1794 to 1803 by several Georgia governors and the state legislature. They sold large tracts of land in what is now the state of Mississippi to political insiders at very low prices...
region, at extremely low prices to a group of investors. Jackson, believing that the sale was influenced by bribery of state legislatures, resigned his post in the Senate to run for a seat in the Georgia legislature in 1795.
He won the election and began to lead a campaign to repeal the Yazoo land sale. In 1798, he won the election for governor of Georgia and proceeded to implement the legislation repealing the Yazoo land sale. Jackson placed blame for the Yazoo land fraud on his political enemies, the Federalists
Federalist Party (United States)
The Federalist Party was the first American political party, from the early 1790s to 1816, the era of the First Party System, with remnants lasting into the 1820s. The Federalists controlled the federal government until 1801...
. He built the Georgia Democratic-Republican party and led it to statewide dominance.
Jackson was re-elected to the Senate in 1801 and served until his death in 1806. He is buried in the Congressional Cemetery
Congressional Cemetery
The Congressional Cemetery is a historic cemetery located at 1801 E Street, SE, in Washington, D.C., on the west bank of the Anacostia River. It is the final resting place of thousands of individuals who helped form the nation and the city of Washington in the early 19th century. Many members of...
, a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in Washington, DC.
Legacy
Jackson was the patriarch of a political dynasty in Georgia. His son, Jabez Young JacksonJabez Young Jackson
Jabez Young Jackson was a U.S. representative from Georgia.-Biography:Jackson was born in Savannah, Georgia, the son of James Jackson , and later uncle of James Jackson . He was elected as a Jacksonian to the Twenty-fourth United States Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of...
, was elected Representative from Georgia in the Twenty-fourth and Twenty-fifth United States Congress. James Jackson's grandson, also named James Jackson
James Jackson (congressman)
James Jackson was a United States Representative from Georgia, a judge advocate in the American Civil War, and a chief justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia. Jackson was also a trustee of the University of Georgia...
, was a U.S. Representative from Georgia, a judge advocate on the staff of General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson
Stonewall Jackson
ຄຽשת״ׇׂׂׂׂ֣|birth_place= Clarksburg, Virginia |death_place=Guinea Station, Virginia|placeofburial=Stonewall Jackson Memorial CemeteryLexington, Virginia|placeofburial_label= Place of burial|image=...
, and a trustee of the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
.