James Pleasants Jr. (October 24, 1769November 9, 1836) was an American politician who served in the

U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

from 1819 to 1822 and was the 22nd Governor of Virginia from 1822 to 1825.

Biography

Pleasants was born at "Cold Comfort," in

Goochland County Goochland County is a county located in the Piedmont of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its southern border is formed by the James River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,727. Its county seat is Goochland. Goochland County is includ ...

(later separated as

Powhatan County Powhatan County () is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 30,033. Its county seat is Powhatan. Powhatan County is included in the Greater Richmond Region. The James River forms the cou ...

) in the

Colony of Virginia The Colony of Virginia, chartered in 1606 and settled in 1607, was the first enduring English colonial empire, English colony in North America, following failed attempts at settlement on Newfoundland (island), Newfoundland by Sir Humphrey GilbertG ...

on October 24, 1769. He pursued classical studies and graduated from the

College of William and Mary The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III a ...

Williamsburg, Virginia Williamsburg is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 15,425. Located on the Virginia Peninsula ...

. He studied law and was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in

Amelia County, Virginia Amelia County is a county located just southwest of Richmond in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. The county is located in Central Virginia and is included in the Greater Richmond Region. Its county seat is Amelia Court House. Amel ...

in 1791. Pleasants was the son of James Pleasants and Ann Randolph, the daughter of

Isham Randolph of Dungeness Isham Randolph (February 24, 1687 – November 2, 1742) Randolph was a planter, a merchant, a public official, and a shipmaster. He was the maternal grandfather of President of the United States, United States President Thomas Jefferson. Earl ...

and granddaughter of

William Randolph William Randolph I (bapt. 7 November 1650 – 11 April 1711) was a planter, merchant and politician in colonial Virginia who played an important role in the development of the colony. Born in Moreton Morrell, Warwickshire, Randolph moved to the ...

. His sister was Susan. Pleasants was a member of the

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbe ...

1797–1802 and clerk of the house of delegates 1803–1811. On January 30, 1811, he was appointed to the

Court of Appeals A court of appeals, also called a court of appeal, appellate court, appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal. In much of t ...

but resigned almost immediately. Pleasants was elected as a

Democratic-Republican The Democratic-Republican Party, known at the time as the Republican Party and also referred to as the Jeffersonian Republican Party among other names, was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the early ...

to the Twelfth and to the four succeeding Congresses and served from March 4, 1811, to December 14, 1819, when he resigned, having been elected a United States Senator. Pleasants served as chairman of the

Committee on Public Expenditures A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly. A committee is not itself considered to be a form of assembly. Usually, the assembly sends matters into a committee as a way to explore them more ...

(Thirteenth Congress), Committee on Expenditures in the

Department of the Navy Navy Department or Department of the Navy may refer to: * United States Department of the Navy, * Navy Department (Ministry of Defence), in the United Kingdom, 1964-1997 * Confederate States Department of the Navy, 1861-1865 * Department of the ...

(Fifteenth Congress). He was elected on December 10, 1819, as a

Democrat-Republican The Democratic-Republican Party, known at the time as the Republican Party and also referred to as the Jeffersonian Republican Party among other names, was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the early ...

to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of John W. Eppes and served from December 14, 1819, to December 15, 1822, when he resigned. He was also chairman of the Committee on Naval Affairs (Sixteenth and Seventeenth Congresses). He was chosen as Governor of Virginia, serving 1822–1825. Pleasants was a delegate to the State constitutional conventions in 1829 and 1830. He retired and lived on his estate, "Contention," near Goochland,

Goochland County, Virginia Goochland County is a county located in the Piedmont of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its southern border is formed by the James River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,727. Its county seat is Goochland. Goochland County is includ ...

, where he died on November 9, 1836. He was buried on his estate. His brother-in-law and law partner, Eugene C. Massie, named his son James Pleasants Massie, after Pleasants. The name has been handed down, now to a total of four generations. His son

John Hampden Pleasants John Hampden Pleasants (January 4, 1797 – March 1, 1846) was an American journalist and businessman. He is known as the editor and founder of the ''Richmond Whig'', a daily newspaper that was later active during the Civil War. Pleasants died ...

(1797–1846) founded the Richmond Whig newspaper, married twice, and later died in a duel with Thomas Ritchie, Jr. Pleasants is the namesake of a residence hall at William and Mary.

Pleasants County, West Virginia Pleasants County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 7,653. Its county seat is St. Marys. Pleasants County is part of the Parkersburg-Vienna, WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. Histo ...

, was named after him in 1851.

References

External links

A Guide to the Governor James Pleasants Executive Papers, 1822–1825
a
The Library of Virginia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pleasants, James 1769 births 1836 deaths College of William & Mary alumni Governors of Virginia United States senators from Virginia Justices of the Supreme Court of Virginia Virginia lawyers Virginia state court judges Democratic-Republican Party United States senators Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia Democratic-Republican Party state governors of the United States People from Washington County, Virginia 19th-century American politicians 18th-century American lawyers 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century American judges People from Goochland County, Virginia

James James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...