James De Wolf
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
James De Wolf (March 18, 1764–December 21, 1837) was a United States Senator from Rhode Island. Born in Bristol, Rhode Island, during the American Revolutionary War he shipped as a sailor on a private armed vessel; he participated in several naval encounters and was twice captured by the enemy. Before he was twenty years old he became captain of a ship and engaged in extensive commercial ventures, notably trading in slaves, with Cuba and other West Indian islands. He was a member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives from 1797 to 1801 and 1803 to 1812, and fitted out privateers in the War of 1812. He was one of the pioneers in cotton manufacturing and built the Arkwright Mills in Coventry, Rhode Island in 1812. He was again a member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives (1817–1821) and served as speaker from 1819 to 1821.
De Wolf was elected as a Democratic Republican (later Crawford Republican) to the U.S. Senate and served from March 4, 1821, to October 31, 1825, when he resigned. He was a member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives from 1829 to 1837, and died in New York City in 1837; interment was in the De Wolf private cemetery, Woodlawn Avenue, Bristol.
[edit] References
| Preceded by William Hunter |
United States Senator (Class 1) from Rhode Island 1821–1825 Served alongside: Nehemiah R. Knight |
Succeeded by Asher Robbins |
