James Speed
| James Speed | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 27th United States Attorney General | |
|
In office December 2, 1864 – July 22, 1866 |
|
| President |
Abraham Lincoln Andrew Johnson |
| Preceded by | Edward Bates |
| Succeeded by | Henry Stanbery |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
March 11, 1812 Jefferson County, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | June 25, 1887 (aged 75) Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Political party | Whig, Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Jane Cochran Speed |
| Alma mater |
St. Joseph's College Transylvania University |
| Profession | Lawyer, Professor, Politician |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | Louisville Home Guard |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
James Speed (March 11, 1812 – June 25, 1887) was an American lawyer, politician and professor. In 1864, he was appointed by Abraham Lincoln to be the United States Attorney General. He previously served in the Kentucky Legislature, and in local political office.
Speed was born in Jefferson County, Kentucky, to Judge John Speed and his second wife, Lucy Gilmer Fry. He was the brother of Joshua Fry Speed, as well as a distant descendant of the English cartographer John Speed. He graduated from St. Joseph's College in Bardstown, Kentucky, studied law at Transylvania University and was admitted to the bar at Louisville, in 1833.
In 1841 Lincoln met Speed in Kentucky when Lincoln visited Speed's brother, Joshua. James Speed lent Lincoln books from his law library. James Speed joined the Whig Party and became a strong opponent of slavery.
In 1847 Speed was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives. At this early point in his career, Speed was already agitating for the emancipation of American slaves. Because of these views, his candidacy for becoming a delegate to the 1849 Kentucky Constitutional Convention was rejected. From 1851 to 1854, Speed served on the Louisville Board of Aldermen, including two years as its president. He taught as a professor in the Law Department of the University of Louisville from 1856 to 1858, and would later return to teach from 1872 to 1879. He was one of the founders of the law firm of Stites & Harbison.
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