James W. Grimes

James Wilson Grimes ( born October 20, 1816 in Deering, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire; † February 7, 1872 in Burlington, Iowa ) is an American politician and from 1854 to 1858 was the third Governor of the State of Iowa. Between 1859 and 1869 he represented his state in the U.S. Senate.

Early years and political rise

Grimes attended Hampton Academy and Dartmouth College. After a subsequent law degree, he was admitted in 1836 as a lawyer. Then he began a successful legal career in Burlington, Iowa.

James Grimes was a member of the Whigs. In 1836 he was a member of an Indian Commission. Between 1838 and 1839, and from 1843 to 1844 was Grimes deputy in the House of Representatives of the Iowa Territory. After joining the site as a state to the United States from 1852 to 1854 he was again in the House of Representatives of that State. In 1854 he was elected as a candidate of his party for the new governor. He was the only governor of Iowa, who belonged to the Whigs. After the end of the Whig Party Grimes later switched to the Republicans.

Governor of Iowa

James Grimes took up his new post on December 9, 1854. In his four-year tenure a mental hospital was built in Mount Pleasant and the capital was moved to Des Moines. In 1857, a new state constitution was adopted. Even laws regulating general business and banking as well as in the education sector have been put in place. At that time, the foundation of the Historical Society of Iowa has been prepared. At the same time was assured by federal grants for the construction of a railway network.

Grimes in the U.S. Senate

After the end of his term of office on January 13, 1858 Grimes was chosen as the candidate of the Republican Party in the U.S. Senate. There he represented his country between 4 March 1859 and 6 December 1869. He was Chairman of the Committee for the administration of the District of Columbia and the Committee on Maritime Affairs ( Committee on Naval Affairs ). In early 1861, he was among a group of politicians who wanted to prevent at a conference in Washington at the last minute the outbreak of the American Civil War. The company failed and the outbreak of war was not long in coming. During the Impeachmentverfahrens against President Andrew Johnson Grimes was one of only seven Republican senators who opposed the party doctrine and argued for an acquittal Johnson. This eventually led to the brief failure of the procedure against the president and political reprisals against the seven senators on the part of the Republican Party. Grimes resigned on December 6, 1869 for health reasons from his seat in the Senate.

Further CV

After the end of his time in Congress to Grimes withdrew from politics. He died in February 1872 and was buried in Burlington. James Grimes was married to Elizabeth Sarah neally.