James Caldwell (July 4, 1763 – 1836) was 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 Democratic- ...

. Caldwell was born in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. 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 a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

he served under Archibald Woods and Thomas Wright. In moved

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 Ul ...

in the

American Indian Wars The American Indian Wars, also known as the American Frontier Wars, and the Indian Wars, were fought by European governments and colonists in North America, and later by the United States and Canadian governments and American and Canadian settle ...

. 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 the ...

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 Kentuck ...

from 1800 to 1807. In 1810 he moved to

Libertyville, Missouri Libertyville is an unincorporated community in southeastern St. Francois County, in the U.S. state of Missouri. The community is located on Missouri Route DD A supplemental route is a state secondary road in the U.S. state of Missouri, designa ...

(five miles southeast of

Farmington, Missouri Farmington is a city in St. Francois County located about southwest of St. Louis in the Lead Belt region in Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,217. It is the county seat of St. Francois County. Farmington was established in ...

Saint Francois County, Missouri St. Francois County () is a county located in the Lead Belt region in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 66,922. The largest city and county seat is Farmington. The county was officially organized on Decemb ...

—although it was part of

Sainte Genevieve County, Missouri Sainte Genevieve County, often abbreviated Ste. Genevieve County (French: Ste-Geneviève), is a county located in the eastern portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,479. The largest city and county ...

at the time). He was elected to the Missouri Territorial Legislature (where he served with his half brother Kinkhead) and the first

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 ...

in 1820 and was named the Speaker. In 1822 he 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 174,000. Its members serve four-year terms, with half the seats being up for election every two yea ...

but lost re-election in 1824 to his son-in-law James Kerr

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