James Caldwell (July 4, 1763 – September 6, 1836) was an American politician and slaveowner who served as the first

Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives Speakers of the Missouri House of Representatives are (listed by year they assumed office): * 1820 James Caldwell Democratic-Republican - St. Genevieve * 1821 Henry S. Geyer Democratic-Republican - St. Louis * 1826 Alexander Stuart Democrat ...

. Caldwell was born in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. During the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

he served under Archibald Woods and Thomas Wright. In 1781, Caldwell moved to

Lincoln County, Kentucky Lincoln County is a county located in south-central Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,275. Its county seat is Stanford. Lincoln County is part of the Danville, KY Micropolitan Statistical Area. History Lincoln County ...

where he served under

William Whitley William Whitley (August 4, 1749 – October 5, 1813), was an American pioneer in what became Kentucky, in the colonial and early Federal period. Born in Virginia, he was the son of Scottish Presbyterian immigrants from northern Ireland, then the U ...

in the

American Indian Wars The American Indian Wars, also known as the American Frontier Wars, and the Indian Wars, was a conflict initially fought by European colonization of the Americas, European colonial empires, the United States, and briefly the Confederate States o ...

. In 1786, he married Meeke Perrin in Lincoln County. He served in the

Kentucky General Assembly The Kentucky General Assembly, also called the Kentucky Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It comprises the Kentucky Senate and the Kentucky House of Representatives. The General Assembly meets annually in th ...

from

Harrison County, Kentucky Harrison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,692. Its county seat is Cynthiana. The county was founded in 1793 and named for Colonel Benjamin Harrison, an advocate for Kentuc ...

from 1800 to 1807. In 1810, the Caldwells moved to Libertyville, Missouri, in Sainte Genevieve County. Their settlement became part of Saint Francois County in upon its creation in 1821. He was elected to the Missouri Territorial Legislature in 1812, and served there until Missouri gained statehood in 1821. He was then elected to the

Missouri House of Representatives The Missouri House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 163 members, representing districts with an average size of 37,000 residents. House members are elected for two-year terms during general elections ...

, and was named the Speaker. In 1822, Caldwell was elected to the

Missouri State Senate The Missouri Senate is the upper chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 34 members, representing districts with an average population of 181,000. Its members serve four-year terms, with half the seats being up for election every two yea ...

. He lost re-election in 1824 to his son-in-law James Kerr. Caldwell died in Libertyville, Missouri on September 6, 1836. Most of his slaves were released upon his death. He is buried at Parkview Cemetery in

Farmington, Missouri Farmington is a city and the county seat of St. Francois County, Missouri, United States. It is in the Lead Belt region in Missouri. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 18,217. Farmington was established in 1822 a ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Caldwell, James 1763 births 1840 deaths People from Virginia People from Lincoln County, Kentucky People from St. Francois County, Missouri Members of the Missouri Territorial Legislature Missouri state senators Speakers of the Missouri House of Representatives Members of the Kentucky General Assembly