James Iredell Jr. | |
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| 23rd Governor of North Carolina | |
| In office December 8, 1827 – December 12, 1828 | |
| Preceded by | Hutchins Gordon Burton |
| Succeeded by | John Owen |
| United States Senator fromNorth Carolina | |
| In office December 15, 1828 – March 4, 1831 | |
| Preceded by | Nathaniel Macon |
| Succeeded by | Willie Person Mangum |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1788-11-02)November 2, 1788 |
| Died | April 13, 1853(1853-04-13) (aged 64) |
| Political party | Democratic (from 1824) Federalist (until 1824) |
James Iredell Jr. (November 2, 1788 – April 13, 1853) was the23rd Governor of theU.S. state ofNorth Carolina between 1827 and 1828.
Iredell was born inChowan County, North Carolina. He was the son of well-known parents: his father,James Iredell, was a statesman and U.S. Supreme Court justice, and his mother was the sister of former GovernorSamuel Johnston. In 1806, young Iredell graduated from the College of New Jersey (todayPrinceton University).
On his way toward political prominence, Iredell commanded a company of volunteers during theWar of 1812, practiced law inChowan County, served in thestate House of Commons, as a representative fromEdenton, and was appointed a Superior Court judge.
Iredell kept a diary, which was rare among the North Carolina gentry at that time and provides researchers with a glimpse into the life of that time period.[1]
During his short term as governor, he pushed for better infrastructure and education. Reacting to an interest of the day—horse-drawn railroad carriages—he suggested the construction of a trial railroad from Campbellton to Fayetteville.
However, his brief time in office (and the inherent weaknesses of the governor under theConstitution of North Carolina) did not allow him to accomplish much.[citation needed] He left office after a few months to serve in theU.S. Senate, a post he held from 1828 to 1831. He was completing the term ofNathaniel Macon, who had resigned. By that time, Iredell was a Jacksonian, or member of theDemocratic Party. Iredell did not seek to be re-elected by the state General Assembly to a full term in the Senate. He moved toRaleigh, practiced law, and served as court reporter for theNorth Carolina Supreme Court from 1840 to 1852. He died inEdenton and is buried there in the Johnston Burial Ground.
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| Preceded by | Governor of North Carolina 1827–1828 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. senator (Class 3) from North Carolina 1828–1831 Served alongside:John Branch,Bedford Brown | Succeeded by |
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| Class 3 | ||
| International | |
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