James De Wolf
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| James De Wolf | |
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| In office March 4, 1821 – October 31, 1825 |
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| Preceded by | William Hunter |
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| Succeeded by | Asher Robbins |
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| Born | March 18, 1764 Bristol, Rhode Island, USA |
| Died | December 21, 1837 New York City, New York, USA |
| Political party | Democratic-Republican |
| Profession | Politician, Captain, Slave Merchant |
James DeWolf nicknamed "Captain Jim" (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, including trading in slaves, with Cuba and other West Indian islands. In 1791 DeWolf was indicted for murder by a Newport, Rhode Island grand jury. He was alleged to have had a sick female slave thrown overboard the "Polly" while gagged and tied to a chair, this after almost his entire crew of sailors refused to participate in this barbarous act. Captain DeWolf got wind of this indictment and immediately left for the Gold Coast of Africa. Two members of the crew, one of which had participated in the drowning, stated in a 1794 deposition taken in St. Eustatius, Leeward Islands that the action was necessary in order to save those on board. During 1795, DeWolf testified in St. Thomas, West Indies with no one present to oppose his testimony and the judge ruled in his favor. The case was formally dismissed, upon petition from the district attorney, as being without merit. DeWolf went on to finance, as sole or primary merchant and shipowner, another 25 slaving voyages, usually with other members of his family. His business empire included three sugar plantations in Cuba.
During the War of 1812, James DeWolf fitted out privateers under the authority of the president of the United States, and one of his ships, the Yankee, became the most successful privateer of the war. DeWolf was a member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives from 1797 to 1801, 1803 to 1812, 1817-1821, and 1829-1837, serving as speaker of the House from 1819 to 1821. He was a pioneer in cotton manufacturing and built the Arkwright Mills in Coventry, Rhode Island in 1812. He became became not only the wealthiest member of the DeWolf family but the richest man in the state, if not the entire region, and by the end of his life was reported to be the second-richest person in the U.S.
DeWolf 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 died in New York City in 1837; interment was in the DeWolf private cemetery, Woodlawn Avenue, Bristol.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- James De Wolf at Find A Grave
- Traces of the Trade (a documentary about Senator James D'Wolf and his family)
- Inheriting the Trade (a memoir about the legacy of James D'Wolf and his family)
| Preceded by William Hunter |
United States Senator (Class 1) from Rhode Island March 4, 1821 – October 31, 1825 Served alongside: Nehemiah R. Knight |
Succeeded by Asher Robbins |
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This article incorporates facts obtained from the public domain Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
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