James McNair Baker
Encyclopedia
James McNair Baker was a lawyer, politician, and Senator from Florida
in the Confederate Congress during the American Civil War
.
, a son of Archibald S. Baker and Catherine McCallum. He graduated from Davidson College
in Davidson, North Carolina
, in 1844. His family has long been associated with the college, and the Baker Sports Complex there is named for them.
Initially, Baker set up a law practice in Lumberton, North Carolina
. But, after a bout with typhoid fever
, he determined to move to a warmer climate
and traveled to Florida
on horseback. He re-established his practice of the law for a time at Old Columbia on the Suwannee River
. But, he then moved to the town of Alligator, where he encouraged the residents to change the uninviting name to the modern Lake City
.
In 1852, Baker was named State's Attorney for the Suwannee Circuit, and served as a delegate to the Whig
National Convention in Baltimore
. There, despite the protests of the Florida delegation, the party nominated General Winfield Scott
for President of the United States
. Scott was extremely unpopular in the state due to his prosecution of the Seminole Wars
, and the decision to put him at the top of the party's ticket alienated many voters. So, it was no surprise in 1856 when Baker failed to win election to the U.S. Congress as a Whig candidate despite his extensive horseback travels across the state.
In 1859, Baker succeeded in winning election as the state judge for the 4th Judicial District, which met in Suwannee. The same year, he married Miss Fanny Gilchrist.
During the tumultuous Election of 1860, Judge Baker supported the failed Constitutional Union ticket of Bell and Everett and opposed Florida's secession
after the election of Abraham Lincoln
. But, once the secession ordinance passed, he loyally supported the decision of his adopted state.
Judge Baker was still on the bench in 1861, when the Florida legislature
created Baker County
in his honor. The following year, the same body selected him to serve as one of the state's two senators in the Confederate Congress. He moved to Richmond, Virginia
, for the duration of the U.S. Civil War.
Returning to Florida after the defeat of the South in 1865, Baker was quickly appointed a Justice of the Florida Supreme Court
by Governor David S. Walker
. However, ratification of the state's Reconstruction constitution in 1868 forced his resignation and return to private practice. Over the next several years, he gained his greatest professional reputation for litigation associated with the disposition of lands held by the state's Internal Improvement Fund—which had been created in 1855 to attract Northern capital and spur development.
By 1876, Baker was an active member of the state's Democratic Executive Committee, and worked hard to bring about an end to the Reconstruction era in Florida. In 1881, he was returned as a judge on the state's 4th Judicial Circuit by Governor William Bloxham. He was re-appointed in 1885 by his successor Governor Edward A. Perry
. But, he resigned due to declining health in 1890.
Judge Baker retired in Jacksonville, where he became an elder in the Presbyterian church. He died at his home in that city one month shy of his seventy-first birthday, and was buried at the nearby Evergreen Cemetery. He was survived by his wife and five children, including two sons who followed in his professional footsteps as prominent Florida attorneys. Members of his family also gained prominence as the founders of Florida Rock Industries.
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
in the Confederate Congress during 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...
.
Biography
Baker was born in Robeson County, North CarolinaRobeson County, North Carolina
Robeson County is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2010 it had a population of 134,168. Since then, it has been one of the 10% of United States counties that were majority-minority; its combined population of American Indian, African American and Latino residents comprise over...
, a son of Archibald S. Baker and Catherine McCallum. He graduated from Davidson College
Davidson College
Davidson College is a private liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina. The college has graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars and is consistently ranked in the top ten liberal arts colleges in the country by U.S. News and World Report magazine, although it has recently dropped to 11th in U.S. News...
in Davidson, North Carolina
Davidson, North Carolina
Davidson is a town in Mecklenburg County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 7,139 at the 2000 census. It is home to Davidson College...
, in 1844. His family has long been associated with the college, and the Baker Sports Complex there is named for them.
Initially, Baker set up a law practice in Lumberton, North Carolina
Lumberton, North Carolina
Lumberton is a city in Robeson County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 20,795 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Robeson County. Lumberton, located in southern North Carolina's Inner Banks region, is located on the Lumber River...
. But, after a bout with typhoid fever
Typhoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as Typhoid, is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica, serovar Typhi...
, he determined to move to a warmer climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
and traveled to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
on horseback. He re-established his practice of the law for a time at Old Columbia on the Suwannee River
Suwannee River
The Suwannee River is a major river of southern Georgia and northern Florida in the United States. It is a wild blackwater river, about long. The Suwannee River is the site of the prehistoric Suwannee Straits which separated peninsular Florida from the panhandle.-Geography:The river rises in the...
. But, he then moved to the town of Alligator, where he encouraged the residents to change the uninviting name to the modern Lake City
Lake City, Florida
Lake City is the county seat of Columbia County, Florida, in the United States. In 2009, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population at 12,614. In addition, it is the Principal City of the Lake City Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is composed of Columbia County, and had an...
.
In 1852, Baker was named State's Attorney for the Suwannee Circuit, and served as a delegate to the 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...
National Convention in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
. There, despite the protests of the Florida delegation, the party nominated General Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott was a United States Army general, and unsuccessful presidential candidate of the Whig Party in 1852....
for President of the United States
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....
. Scott was extremely unpopular in the state due to his prosecution of the Seminole Wars
Seminole Wars
The Seminole Wars, also known as the Florida Wars, were three conflicts in Florida between the Seminole — the collective name given to the amalgamation of various groups of native Americans and Black people who settled in Florida in the early 18th century — and the United States Army...
, and the decision to put him at the top of the party's ticket alienated many voters. So, it was no surprise in 1856 when Baker failed to win election to the U.S. Congress as a Whig candidate despite his extensive horseback travels across the state.
In 1859, Baker succeeded in winning election as the state judge for the 4th Judicial District, which met in Suwannee. The same year, he married Miss Fanny Gilchrist.
During the tumultuous Election of 1860, Judge Baker supported the failed Constitutional Union ticket of Bell and Everett and opposed Florida's secession
Secession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
after the election of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
. But, once the secession ordinance passed, he loyally supported the decision of his adopted state.
Judge Baker was still on the bench in 1861, when the Florida legislature
Florida Legislature
The Florida State Legislature is the term often used to refer to the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The Florida Constitution states that "The legislative power of the state shall be vested in a legislature of the State of Florida," composed of a Senate...
created Baker County
Baker County, Florida
Baker County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 22,259. The U.S. Census Bureau 2008 estimate for the county is 26,164 . Its county seat is Macclenny, Florida. While primarily rural, the county is included in the Jacksonville Metropolitan Area.-...
in his honor. The following year, the same body selected him to serve as one of the state's two senators in the Confederate Congress. He moved to Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, for the duration of the U.S. Civil War.
Returning to Florida after the defeat of the South in 1865, Baker was quickly appointed a Justice of the Florida Supreme Court
Florida Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the State of Florida is the highest court in the U.S. state of Florida. The Supreme Court consists of seven judges: the Chief Justice and six Justices who are appointed by the Governor to 6-year terms and remain in office if retained in a general election near the end of each...
by Governor David S. Walker
David S. Walker
David Shelby Walker was the eighth Governor of Florida.Walker was born near Russelville in Logan County, Kentucky. He attended private schools in Kentucky and Tennessee and studied law. He moved to Florida in 1837, settling in Leon County...
. However, ratification of the state's Reconstruction constitution in 1868 forced his resignation and return to private practice. Over the next several years, he gained his greatest professional reputation for litigation associated with the disposition of lands held by the state's Internal Improvement Fund—which had been created in 1855 to attract Northern capital and spur development.
By 1876, Baker was an active member of the state's Democratic Executive Committee, and worked hard to bring about an end to the Reconstruction era in Florida. In 1881, he was returned as a judge on the state's 4th Judicial Circuit by Governor William Bloxham. He was re-appointed in 1885 by his successor Governor Edward A. Perry
Edward A. Perry
Edward Aylesworth Perry was a general under Robert E. Lee during the American Civil War and the 14th Governor of Florida.-Early life:He was a descendant of Arthur Perry, one of the earliest settlers of New England...
. But, he resigned due to declining health in 1890.
Judge Baker retired in Jacksonville, where he became an elder in the Presbyterian church. He died at his home in that city one month shy of his seventy-first birthday, and was buried at the nearby Evergreen Cemetery. He was survived by his wife and five children, including two sons who followed in his professional footsteps as prominent Florida attorneys. Members of his family also gained prominence as the founders of Florida Rock Industries.