James Shields (politician, born 1810)
| James Shields | |
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United States Senator from Missouri |
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In office January 27, 1879 – March 3, 1879 |
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| Preceded by | David H. Armstrong |
| Succeeded by | George Graham Vest |
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United States Senator from Minnesota |
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In office May 11, 1858 – March 3, 1859 |
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| Preceded by | None |
| Succeeded by | Morton S. Wilkinson |
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United States Senator from Illinois |
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In office October 27, 1849 – March 3, 1855 |
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| Preceded by | Sidney Breese |
| Succeeded by | Lyman Trumbull |
| Member of Illinois House of Representatives | |
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In office 1836 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
May 6, 1810 Altmore, County Tyrone, Ireland |
| Died | June 1, 1879 (aged 69) Ottumwa, Iowa |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch |
United States Army Union Army |
| Years of service | 1832 1835-1842 1846–1848; 1861–1862 |
| Rank |
 Brigadier General
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| Battles/wars | |
Black Hawk War
Second Seminole War
Mexican–American War
James Shields (May 10, 1806 – June 1, 1879) was an Irish American Democratic politician and United States Army officer, who is the only person in United States history to serve as a U.S. Senator for three different states. Shields represented Illinois from 1849 to 1855, in the 31st, 32nd, and 33rd Congresses, Minnesota from 1858 to 1859, in the 35th Congress, and Missouri in 1879, in the 45th Congress. He also served as Illinois Auditor of Public Accounts from 1841 to 1843 and as Commissioner of the General Land Office from 1845 to 1847.
A descendant of the Ó Siadhail clan, Shields was born in Altmore, County Tyrone, in what is now Northern Ireland. His uncle, also named James Shields and also born in Ireland, was a Congressman from Ohio. The younger Shields attempted to immigrate to the United States in 1822, but failed when his ship was driven aground, leaving Shields one of only three survivors. He eventually made it to America around 1826, and found his uncle (who was a professor of Greek and Latin, and Shields was planning to meet) dead. Upon realizing that, Shields took a job as a sailor, becoming a purser on a merchant ship. James became such an expert sailor that he was later placed in command of a ship and sailed it safely into port with all the officers disabled. However, after a time, an accident left Shields disabled, and in the hospital for three months. Eventually, Shields settled in Kaskaskia, Randolph County, Illinois where he studied and later practiced law. He served as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives, beginning to serve in 1836, and then as an Illinois Supreme Court justice and in 1839 as the state auditor. (He was elected when not yet a citizen; Illinois then required only that a legislator have been resident in the state for six months.)
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