James Sullivan (governor)
| James Sullivan | |
|---|---|
Portrait by Gilbert Stuart
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| 7th Governor of Massachusetts | |
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In office May 29, 1807 – December 10, 1808 |
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| Lieutenant | Levi Lincoln Sr. |
| Preceded by | Caleb Strong |
| Succeeded by | Levi Lincoln Sr. (acting) |
| 2nd Massachusetts Attorney General | |
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In office 1790–1807 |
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| Preceded by | Robert Treat Paine |
| Succeeded by | Barnabas Bidwell |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
April 22, 1744 Berwick, Province of Massachusetts Bay (present-day Maine) |
| Died | December 10, 1808 (aged 64) Boston, Massachusetts |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic-Republican |
| Spouse(s) | 1) Mehitable Odiorne 2) Martha Langdon |
| Signature |  |
James Sullivan (April 22, 1744 – December 10, 1808) was a lawyer and politician in Massachusetts. He was an early associate justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, served as the state's attorney general for many years, and as governor of the state from 1807 until his death.
Sullivan was born and raised in Berwick, Maine (then part of Massachusetts), and studied law with his brother John. After establishing a successful law practice, he became actively involved in the Massachusetts state government during the American Revolutionary War, and was appointed to the state's highest court in March 1776. He was involved in drafting the state constitution and the state's ratifying convention for the United States Constitution. After resigning from the bench in 1782 he returned to private practice, and was appointed Attorney General in 1790. During his years as judge and attorney general he was responsible for drafting and revising much of the state's legislation as part of the transition from British rule to independence. While attorney general he worked with the commission that established the border between Maine and New Brunswick, and prosecuted several high-profile murder cases.
Sullivan was a political partisan, supporting the Democratic-Republican Party and subscribing to Jeffersonian republican ideals. He supported John Hancock and Samuel Adams in their political careers, and was a frequent contributor, often under one of many pseudonyms, to political dialogue in the state's newspapers. He ran unsuccessfully for governor several times before finally winning the office in 1807. He died in office during his second term.
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