James Daniel Richardson (March 10, 1843 – July 24, 1914) was an American politician and a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

from

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

for Tennessee's 5th congressional district in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from 1885 through 1905.

Early life and education

James Daniel Richardson was born in Rutherford County, Tennessee, son of John Watkins and Augusta M. Starnes Richardson. He attended the country schools and Franklin College, near Nashville. He married Alabama Pippen on January 18, 1865, and they had five children, Annie Augusta, Ida Lee, James Daniel, Allie Sue, and John Watkins. Before graduating from college, Richardson enlisted in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

, and served nearly four years. The first year he was a private and the remaining three years as a

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a ...

and the adjutant of the 45th Tennessee Infantry Regiment.

Career

Richardson studied law; was admitted to the bar and commenced practice January 1, 1867, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives, serving from 1871 to 1873, and then to the

Tennessee Senate The Tennessee Senate is the upper house of the U.S. state of Tennessee's state legislature, which is known formally as the Tennessee General Assembly. The Tennessee Senate has the power to pass resolutions concerning essentially any issue rega ...

, serving from 1873 to 1875. He was a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions in 1876, 1896, and 1900, and presided as permanent chairman at the 1900 convention. Elected as a Democratic to the Forty-ninth and to the nine succeeding Congresses, Richardson served from March 4, 1885, to March 3, 1905. He was among the earliest U.S. House Minority Leaders, holding that position from 1899 to 1903, during the 56th and 57th

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...

es. Pursuant to an act of Congress on August 20, 1894, Richardson was charged with compiling the " Messages and Papers of the Presidents," a multi-volume work including every single important document from the federal Government, from the early days of President Washington through the second administration of

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...

, plus some papers from the administration of

William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. As a politician he led a realignment that made his Republican Party largely dominant in ...

Death

Richardson died on July 24, 1914 (age 71 years, 136 days) in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He is

interred Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...

at Evergreen Cemetery.

Personal life

James Richardson was a freemason and was raised in Mt. Moriah Lodge 18, in Murfreesboro, on October 12, 1867. He was elected the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Tennessee in 1873. He also became the eleventh Sovereign Grand Commander of the

Scottish Rite The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry (the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction in the United States often omits the ''and'', while the English Constitution in the United Kingdom omits the ''Scottish''), commonly known as simply the S ...

's Supreme Council. He held this office from 1900 until his death until 1914.

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Richardson, James D. 1843 births 1914 deaths 19th-century American politicians Confederate States Army officers Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Tennessee Grand Masters of the Grand Lodge of Tennessee Democratic Party members of the Tennessee House of Representatives Minority leaders of the United States House of Representatives People from Rutherford County, Tennessee Democratic Party Tennessee state senators