James W. Flanagan

James Winright Flanagan (* September 5, 1805 in Gordonsville, Orange County, Virginia; † September 19, 1887 in Longview, Texas ) was an American politician who represented the state of Texas 1870-1875 in the U.S. Senate.

Life

James Flanagan was not yet ten years old when he moved with his parents to Kentucky, where the family settled in Boonesborough. As a young man he began a successful career in commercial Cloverport on the Ohio River. He also studied the law and was admitted to the bar in 1825. The following year, he married Polly Moorman. With her he moved to in 1844 to Henderson in Texas.

There Flanagan opened a shop. Moreover, he acquired a farm, participated in speculative transactions with real estate and practiced law.

Policy

Originally belonged Flanagan to the Whigs and was a supporter of Sam Houston. Later, he joined then when the Republicans to their moderate wing he always counted. From 1851 to 1852 he was a member of the Texas House of Representatives, 1855-1858 State Senator.

During the Civil War, Flanagan, who was loyal to the Union, withdrew from politics and worked only as a farmer. During the period of Reconstruction, he took over again hold public office. So he took on two constitutional conventions of Texas in part after the war, the first case resulting constitution was rejected in 1866 by the majority of the Radical Republicans in Congress. It was not until the second draft was ratified in 1869.

After the new constitution came into force, Flanagan was elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas. This office he held until 1870; as Texas again became a full member in the Union Parliament named him one of the two representatives of the state in the U.S. Senate. The second mandate was to Morgan C. Hamilton. Flanagan remained until March 3, 1875 in the Senate and supported there, the policy of President Ulysses S. Grant; with Samuel B. Maxey joined a Democrat to his successor.

James Flanagan sat down then on his farm in Longview to rest. He was twice a widower and married in his late years of life again. Overall, he was the father of eleven children; one of his sons, David Webster Flanagan, 1871 also officiated as Lieutenant Governor of Texas.

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