James Jones (Georgia politician)

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James Jones (died January 11, 1801) was an American politician and lawyer from the State of Georgia.[1]

James Jones
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Georgia's at-large congressional district
In office
March 4, 1799 – January 11, 1801
Preceded byAbraham Baldwin
Succeeded byJohn Milledge
Member of the
Georgia House of Representatives
In office
1797 - 1799
Personal details
Born
James Jones

Maryland
DiedWashington, D.C.
Resting placeCongressional Cemetery
Political partyFederalist Party
Professionlawyer

Early years and education

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Jones moved with his uncle to Georgia in 1740. He studied law in Savannah, Georgia, and gained admission to the state bar and became a practicing attorney. In 1790, he also served as a first lieutenant in the Georgia Militia.

Political career

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Elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1796, Jones was re-elected in 1798 but later resigned. While seeking re-election to the Georgia House of Representatives, Jones simultaneously ran for a seat in the United States House of Representatives. In the election of 1798, Georgia used a statewide at-large method to elect two members to serve in the 6th Congress of the United States.[2] Jones received 4,264 votes (37.3%), ahead of the second-place finisher, Benjamin Taliaferro, who received 3,823 votes (33.4%).[2] Both Jones and Taliaferro ran as candidates on the Federalist Party ticket. The incumbent, Abraham Baldwin, running as a Democratic-Republican, came in a distant third with 3,135 votes (27.4%)[2] Jones resigned from the Georgia General Assembly and took his seat in Congress instead. In 1798, Jones also served on the state constitutional convention.

Death and legacy

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Jones died while still serving in that position in 1801 and was buried in the Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C. Jones County, Georgia, was named in his honor.[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ James Jones, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
  2. ^ a b c "6th Congress: Georgia 1798". Mapping Early American Elections. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  3. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 170.
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U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Georgia's at-large congressional district

March 4, 1799 – January 11, 1801
Succeeded by