Brown, James, 1766-1835

James Brown was U.S. District Attorney in Kentucky, 1791; Secretary of State of Kentucky, 1792-1796; Secretary of Orleans Territory, 1804; U.S. District Attorney in Orleans Territory, 1805-1808; U.S. Senator from Louisiana, 1813-1817, 1819-1823; and U.S. Minister to France, 1823-1829.

James Brown, an attorney and politician, practiced law in New Orleans. He was named Secretary of the Territory of Orleans in 1804, and was appointed by President Thomas Jefferson as United States attorney for the Orleans district the following year. In 1812 he served as a delegate to Louisiana's first constitutional convention. He was twice elected to the U.S. Senate, 1813-1817, 1819-1823 and served as Minister to France from 1823-1829.

Lawyer, diplomat, and U.S. senator from Louisiana.

U.S. senator, diplomat, and lawyer.

Biographical Note

James Brown was a lawyer, United States senator from Louisiana, United States minister to France, and brother-in-law of Henry Clay. He was born near Staunton, Virginia, on September 11, 1766. After attending Washington College (now known as Washington and Lee University) in Lexington, Virginia, and William and Mary College in Williamsburg, Virginia, he was admitted to the bar and began a law practice in Frankfort, Kentucky. He moved to New Orleans in 1804 and served as secretary and then United States district attorney for the Territory of Orleans. In 1812 he was elected to represent the state of Louisiana as a United States senator. He lost his initial bid for reelection in 1817 but was reelected in 1819 and served until 1823, when he resigned following his appointment as United States minister to France. He served in that capacity until 1829. When he returned to the United States he settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he died on April 7, 1835.