William Dunbar was a U.S. Representative from Louisiana

Louisiana

Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...

.

He was born in Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

 in 1805 and completed preparatory studies before moving to Alexandria, Virginia

Alexandria, Virginia

Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...

, where he engaged in the practice of law in the early 1830s. Dunbar moved to Louisiana in 1852 and was appointed Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Louisiana to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Judge Preston and served from September 1, 1852 to May 4, 1853. He was elected as a Democrat to the Thirty-third Congress (March 4, 1853-March 3, 1855) representing Louisiana's 1st congressional district

Louisiana's 1st congressional district

Louisiana's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The district comprises mostly land on the North Shore and South Shore of Lake Pontchartrain, although it also contains areas west of Lake Pontchartrain. The district includes some or all of the...

. Defeated by a "Know-Nothing" candidate after one term, Rep. Dunbar retired to his sugar plantation in St. Bernard Parish and resided there until his death on March 18, 1861.