James Burrill Jr. (April 25, 1772 – December 25, 1820) was a
Federalist
The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters call themselves ''Federalists''.
History Europe federation
In Europe, proponents of deep ...
-party
United States senator
The United States Senate consists of 100 members, two from each of the 50 U.S. state, states. This list includes all senators serving in the 119th United States Congress.
Party affiliation
Independent Senators Angus King of Maine and Berni ...
representing the state of
Rhode Island
Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...
. He served in the Senate from 1817 until 1820, and was previously the Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court in 1816 and 1817 and the state's attorney general from 1797 to 1814. He graduated from the
College of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (the former name of
Brown University
Brown University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the List of colonial colleges, seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the ' ...
) at Providence in 1788.
In 1797, he was an unsuccessful candidate in a
special election
A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, or a bypoll in India, is an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections.
A vacancy may arise as a result of an incumben ...
for Congress.
Burrill was elected a member of the
American Antiquarian Society
The American Antiquarian Society (AAS), located in Worcester, Massachusetts, is both a learned society and a national research library of pre-twentieth-century American history and culture. Founded in 1812, it is the oldest historical society in ...
in 1815.
The town of
Burrillville, Rhode Island
Burrillville () is a New England town, town in Providence County, Rhode Island, Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 16,158 at the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census.
History
Burrillville was probably first se ...
, is named for him. His grandson is the American writer and public speaker,
George William Curtis
George William Curtis (February 24, 1824 – August 31, 1892) was an American writer, reformer, public speaker, and political activist. He was an abolitionist and supporter of civil rights for African Americans and Native Americans. He also a ...
.
Burrill died of
tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...
in
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, on December 25, 1820.
He was interred in the
Congressional Cemetery
The Congressional Cemetery, officially Washington Parish Burial Ground, is a historic and active cemetery located at 1801 E Street in Washington, D.C., in the Hill East neighborhood on the west bank of the Anacostia River. It is the only American ...
.
See also
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References
Further reading
*
External links
1772 births
1820 deaths
United States senators from Rhode Island
Brown University alumni
Rhode Island Federalists
Federalist Party United States senators
Politicians from Providence, Rhode Island
People from colonial Rhode Island
19th-century United States senators
Candidates in the 1797 United States elections
19th-century deaths from tuberculosis
Tuberculosis deaths in Washington, D.C.
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