Livingston, Edward, 1764-1836

Livingston's varied career as American lawyer and statesman is described in detail in the following descriptions of his papers.

Eminent jurist - Minister to France - Secretary of State under Andrew Jackson.

Edward Livingston served as Andrew Jackson's aide-de-camp (1814-1815) and helped secure the assistance of the Lafitte brothers. Livingston also served as US Senator from Louisiana (1828-1831).

Son of Robert R. Livingston. Mayor of New York, member of Congress from New York and later from Louisiana, senator from Louisiana, U.S. secretary of state and minister to France.

Senator, Secretary of State, Diplomat.

Edward Livingston graduated from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) in 1781, was admitted to the bar in 1785, and practiced law in New York City. He was U.S. Representative for New York (1795-1801), U.S. district attorney (1801-1803), and mayor of New York City (1801-1803). Livingston moved to New Orleans, La., in 1804 where he was engaged in the practice of law and in the real estate business, authored a legal code for Louisiana, and served at the Battle of New Orleans. He was U.S. Representative for Louisiana (1823-1829), U.S. Senator for Louisiana (1829-1831), U.S. Secretary of State in the Cabinet of President Andrew Jackson (1831-1833), and Minister Plenipotentiary to France (1833-1835).

A native of "Clermont", Columbia County, N.Y., Edward Livingston was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1795. Having migrated to New Orleans, La., in 1804 he began the practice of law. He was elected to the Louisiana Legislature in 1820 and was commissioned to revise the penal law which he presented to the Legislature in 1825. Elected to Congress in 1822 representing the New Orleans District, he served until 1828 when he was elected U.S. Senator from Louisiana.

As a close friend and ally to Andrew Jackson, he was appointed U.S. Secretary of State in 1831, a post he resigned May 29, 1833 to accept the position of Minister of France.

Edward Livingston graduated from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) in 1781, was admitted to the bar in 1785, and practiced law in New York City. He was U.S. Representative for New York (1795-1801), U.S. district attorney (1801-1803), and mayor of New York City (1801-1803). Livingston moved to New Orleans, La., in 1804 where he was engaged in the practice of law and in the real estate business, authored a legal code for Louisiana, and served at the Battle of New Orleans. He was U.S. Representative for Louisiana (1823-1829), U.S. Senator for Louisiana (1829-1831), U.S. Secretary of State in the Cabinet of President Andrew Jackson (1831-1833), and Minister Plenipotentiary to France (1833-1835).

Edwin James was born at Weybridge, Vt., and graduated from Middlebury College in 1816. He studied medicine with his brother, Dr. John James, and later studied botany and geology with John Torrey and Amos Eaton. James was appointed surgeon and biologist for the Maj. Stephen H. Long Expedition of 1820. This party explored the West for the headwaters of the Platte and Red rivers, made maps of the uncharted Louisiana Territory, and located sites for military posts to protect the American fur trade. James is said to have been the first white man to climb Pike's Peak in Colorado, doing so in 1820, and he was the first botanist to examine the alpine flora of the Rocky Mountains. He later served as assistant surgeon in the U.S. Army (1823-1833), editor of the Albany, N.Y., Temperance Herald and Journal (1833-1836), and subagent to the Potawatomi Indians (1837-1838).