James Winright Flanagan (September 5, 1805September 28, 1887) was an American merchant, lawyer, and farmer from Henderson, Texas. Although never officially inaugurated, he briefly served as the

Lieutenant Governor of Texas The lieutenant governor of Texas is the second-highest executive office in the government of Texas, a state in the U.S. It is the second most powerful post in Texas government because its occupant controls the work of the Texas Senate and control ...

in 1870, before leaving the position to represent Texas in the

United States 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 pow ...

from 1870 to 1875.

Early life

James was born to Charles and Elizabeth (Saunders) Flanagan in

Albemarle County Albemarle County is a county located in the Piedmont region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its county seat is Charlottesville, which is an independent city and enclave entirely surrounded by the county. Albemarle County is part of the Char ...

near

Gordonsville, Virginia Gordonsville is a town in Orange County in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Located about 19 miles northeast of Charlottesville and 65 miles northwest of Richmond, the population was 1,496 at the 2010 census. The town celebrate ...

. Before his tenth birthday, the family moved to Boonesboro, Kentucky. As a young man he moved to

Cloverport, Kentucky Cloverport is a home rule-class city in Breckinridge County, Kentucky, United States, on the banks of the Ohio River. The population was 1,152 at the 2010 census. History The town was once known as Joesville after its founder, Joe Huston. Es ...

, on the Ohio River and became a prosperous merchant. He also read law and was admitted to the Kentucky bar in 1825. He married Polly Moorman in 1826 and the couple had several children before moving to Henderson, Texas, in 1844.

Career

Flanagan established himself in Henderson by opening a store. He bought a farm, speculated in land, and practiced law. Politically, he was a Whig and an active supporter of Sam Houston. He later became a moderate

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

. Flanagan served in the Texas House of Representatives (1851–1852) and the Texas State Senate (1855–1858). When the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

came to Texas, Flanagan was a Unionist, but he withdrew to his farm and lived quietly. He returned to active politics during the

Reconstruction Reconstruction may refer to: Politics, history, and sociology *Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company *'' Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Unio ...

. He served as a delegate to both Constitutional Conventions. The first, in 1866, produced a state constitution that was rejected by the

Radical Republicans The Radical Republicans (later also known as "Stalwarts") were a faction within the Republican Party, originating from the party's founding in 1854, some 6 years before the Civil War, until the Compromise of 1877, which effectively ended Recons ...

in the

U.S. Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washin ...

. The second, in 1868–1869, was successful. Under the new Constitution, Flanagan was elected as Lieutenant Governor in 1869. He only held the position for a month, from January to February of 1870. When Texas was readmitted to the Union, the legislature named him, along with Morgan Hamilton, to the U.S. Senate. He served one term as a Senator, until 1875 when he was replaced by the

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Samuel Maxey. In the Senate he was a supporter of the

Grant Administration The presidency of Ulysses S. Grant began on March 4, 1869, when Ulysses S. Grant was inaugurated as the 18th president of the United States, and ended on March 4, 1877. The Reconstruction era took place during Grant's two terms of office. The Ku ...

Later life

After his Senate term, Flanagan took up residence on one of his farms near

Longview, Texas Longview is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, and county seat of Gregg County; a small part of Longview extends into the western portion of neighboring Harrison County. Longview is located in East Texas, where Interstate 20 and U.S. Highways ...

. He married again (he was widowed twice and married three times), this time to Elizabeth Lane. The three marriages produced a total of eleven children. One of Flanagan’s children was

David Webster Flanagan David Webster Flanagan (January 9, 1832 – May 5, 1924) was a Republican state senator in Texas. His father, James Winright Flanagan, served as Lieutenant Governor and U.S. Senator from Texas. A Unionist before the American Civil War ...

who also served as Lieutenant Governor in Texas. Flanagan died on his farm in Longview in 1887 and was buried next to his first wife, Polly, in their family graveyard in Henderson, Texas.

External links

Biographic sketch at U.S. Congress website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Flanagan, James W. 1805 births 1887 deaths People from Albemarle County, Virginia American people of Irish descent Republican Party United States senators from Texas Lieutenant Governors of Texas Republican Party Texas state senators People from Longview, Texas 19th-century American politicians American lawyers admitted to the practice of law by reading law People from Breckinridge County, Kentucky