James Rariden was a U.S. Representative

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 Indiana

Indiana

Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

.

Born near Cynthiana, Kentucky

Cynthiana, Kentucky

As of the census of 2000, there were 6,258 people, 2,692 households, and 1,639 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,873.6 people per square mile . There were 2,909 housing units at an average density of 870.9 per square mile...

, Rariden received a limited schooling.
He moved to Brookville, Indiana

Brookville, Indiana

Brookville is a town in Brookville Township, Franklin County, Indiana, United States. The population was 2,625 at the 2000 census. The town is the county seat of Franklin County.-Geography:...

, and thence to Salisbury.
Deputy clerk of court.
He studied law.
He was admitted to the bar

Admission to the bar in the United States

In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...

 in 1818 and began practice in Centerville, Indiana

Centerville, Indiana

Centerville is a town in Center Township, Wayne County, Indiana, United States. The population was 2,552 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Centerville is located at , at an altitude of 1,014 feet . U.S...

, in 1820.
He served as prosecuting attorney 1822-1825.
He served in the State senate in 1823.
He served as member of the State house of representatives in 1829, 1830, 1832, and 1833.

Rariden 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 Twenty-fifth

25th United States Congress

-House of Representatives:-Leadership:- Senate :* President: Richard Mentor Johnson * President pro tempore: William R. King - House of Representatives :* Speaker: James K. Polk -Members:This list is arranged by chamber, then by state...

 and Twenty-sixth

26th United States Congress

-House of Representatives:- Leadership :- Senate :*President: Richard M. Johnson *President pro tempore: William R. King - House of Representatives :*Speaker: Robert M.T. Hunter -Members:This list is arranged by chamber, then by state...

 Congresses (March 4, 1837-March 3, 1841).
He moved to Cambridge City, Indiana

Cambridge City, Indiana

Cambridge City is a town in Jackson Township, Wayne County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,870 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Cambridge City is located at ....

, in 1846.
He served as delegate to the State constitutional convention in 1850.
He died in Cambridge City, Indiana

Cambridge City, Indiana

Cambridge City is a town in Jackson Township, Wayne County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,870 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Cambridge City is located at ....

, October 20, 1856.
He was interred in Riverside Cemetery.