James Brown (Senator)

James Brown (September 11, 1766 – April 7, 1835) was a lawyer, U.S. Senator from Louisiana and Minister to France. He was the brother of John Brown, the cousin of John Breckinridge, James Breckinridge and Francis Preston, the brother-in-law of Henry Clay, the uncle of James Brown Clay, Henry Clay, Jr., John Morrison Clay, the great uncle of B. Gratz Brown and the cousin-in-law of Thomas Hart Benton.

James Brown

Born near Staunton, Virginia, Brown attended Washington College (later Washington and Lee University) in Lexington, Virginia, and William and Mary College, Williamsburg, Virginia. He studied law, was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Frankfort, Kentucky. Brown commanded a company of sharpshooters in an expedition against the Indians in 1789.

He served as secretary to the Governor in 1792. Soon after the cession of the Territory of Louisiana, Brown moved to New Orleans and was appointed as secretary of the Territory in 1804. Brown subsequently became United States district attorney for the Territory.

In January 1811, slaves from James Brown's plantations rebelled, joining the 1811 German Coast Uprising led by Charles Deslondes, a free person of color. It was the largest slave rebellion in US history, but the slaves killed only two white men. In the aftermath of confrontation with the militia and executions after trials, ninety-five blacks were killed.

Brown was elected as a Democratic Republican to the United States Senate on December 1, 1812, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Jean N. Destréhan, and served from February 5, 1813, to March 3, 1817. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection, but again elected to the United States Senate in 1819, as an Adams-Clay Republican. He served from March 4, 1819, until December 10, 1823, when he resigned. During his tenure, Brown was the chairman, Committee on Foreign Relations (Sixteenth Congress).

Brown was appointed United States Minister to France 1823-1829.

Brown returned to the United States and settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he died. He was buried at Christ Church, Philadelphia.