James McNair Baker
| James McNair Baker | |
|---|---|
|
Confederate States Senator from Florida |
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In office February 18, 1862 – May 10, 1865 |
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| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
July 20, 1821 Robeson County, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | June 20, 1892 (aged 70) Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. |
| Political party |
Democratic Know Nothing Whig |
| Alma mater | Davidson College |
James McNair Baker (July 20, 1821 – June 20, 1892) was a lawyer, politician, and Senator from Florida in the Confederate Congress during the American Civil War.
Baker was born in Robeson County, North Carolina, a son of Archibald S. Baker and Catherine McCallum. He graduated from Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina, in 1844. His family has long been associated with the college, and the Baker Sports Complex there is named for them.
Initially, Baker set up a law practice in Lumberton, North Carolina. But, after a bout with typhoid fever, he determined to move to a warmer climate and traveled to Florida on horseback. He re-established his practice of the law for a time at Old Columbia on the Suwannee River. But, he then moved to the town of Alligator, where he encouraged the residents to change the uninviting name to the modern Lake City.
In 1852, Baker was named State Attorney for the Suwannee Circuit, and served as a delegate to the Whig National Convention in Baltimore. There, despite the protests of the Florida delegation, the party nominated General Winfield Scott for President of the United States. Scott was extremely unpopular in the state due to his prosecution of the Seminole Wars, and the decision to put him at the top of the party's ticket alienated many voters. So, it was no surprise in 1856 when Baker failed to win election to the U.S. Congress as a Know Nothing-Whig candidate despite his extensive horseback travels across the state.
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