James Burchell Richardson (October 28, 1770April 28, 1836) was the

Governor of South Carolina The governor of South Carolina is the head of government of South Carolina. The governor is the ''ex officio'' commander-in-chief of the National Guard when not called into federal service. The governor's responsibilities include making year ...

from 1802 to 1804.

Family

Born in Clarendon County to Brigadier General

Richard Richardson (general) Richard Richardson (1704–1780) was an American planter and military officer from Clarendon County, South Carolina who served as a Brigadier General, brigadier general in the American Revolutionary War. Career Richardson was born in Jamestown, ...

, a famed Revolutionary War leader, and Dorcas Richardson, an American heroine, he received his education at the local schools in Clarendon County. He afterwards became a

planter Planter or Planters may refer to: Common meanings * A flowerpot or box for plants ** ''Jardiniere'', one such type of pot, mostly indoor types ** Cachepot, another term for the same ** Flower box, another type of planter, mostly for outdoors ** ...

at the Richardsons' Big Home Plantation.

Political career

In 1792, Richardson was elected to the

South Carolina House of Representatives The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly. It consists of 124 representatives elected to two-year terms at the same time as U.S. congressional elections. Unlike many legislatures, seatin ...

and served for ten years. The

General Assembly A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company. Specific examples of general assembly include: Churches * General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of presby ...

chose him to be

in 1802 for a two-year term. During his time as governor, the legislature repealed laws against the traffic of slaves, but prohibited the importation of slaves under the age of fifteen from other states. Upon leaving the governorship in 1804, Richardson returned as a member of the state House of Representatives. He won election to the

South Carolina Senate The South Carolina State Senate is the upper house of the South Carolina General Assembly, the lower house being the South Carolina House of Representatives. It consists of 46 senators elected from single member districts for four-year terms at ...

in 1806 and served until 1814. From 1816 to 1818, Richardson was a member of the state House of Representatives for a third and final time. He spent the rest of his life on his plantation where he died on April 28, 1836, and was interred at the Richardson Cemetery.

References

External links

SCIway Biography of James Burchill RichardsonNGA Biography of James Burchill Richardson
1770 births 1836 deaths 18th-century American politicians 18th-century American planters 19th-century American planters Members of the South Carolina House of Representatives Governors of South Carolina University of South Carolina trustees South Carolina state senators South Carolina Democratic-Republicans Democratic-Republican Party state governors of the United States 19th-century members of the South Carolina General Assembly {{SouthCarolina-politician-stub