James M. Mason

James M. Mason
President pro tempore of the United States Senate
In office
January 6, 1857 – March 4, 1857
Preceded byJesse D. Bright
Succeeded byThomas J. Rusk
United States Senator
from Virginia
In office
January 21, 1847 – March 28, 1861
Preceded byIsaac S. Pennybacker
Succeeded byWaitman T. Willey
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Virginia's 15th district
In office
March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1839
Preceded byEdward Lucas
Succeeded byWilliam Lucas
Member of the Virginia House of Delegates
from Frederick County
In office
December 1, 1828 – December 4, 1831
Serving with William Castleman, William Wood
Preceded byWilliam Barton
Succeeded byConstituency reestablished
In office
December 4, 1826 – December 2, 1827
Serving with James Ship
Preceded byGeorge Kiger
Succeeded byWilliam Barton
Personal details
Born
James Murray Mason

(1798-11-03)November 3, 1798
Analostan Island, D.C., U.S.
DiedApril 28, 1871(1871-04-28) (aged 72)
Alexandria, Virginia, U.S.
Resting placeChrist Church
Alexandria, Virginia, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseEliza Chew
EducationUniversity of Pennsylvania (BA)
College of William and Mary (LLB)
Signature

James Murray Mason (November 3, 1798 – April 28, 1871) was an American lawyer and politician who became a Confederate diplomat. He served as senator from Virginia, having previously represented Frederick County, Virginia, in the Virginia House of Delegates.[1][2]

A grandson of George Mason, Mason strongly supported slavery as well as Virginia's secession as the American Civil War began. As chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations from 1851 until his expulsion in 1861 for supporting the Confederate States of America, Mason took great interest in protecting American cotton exporters. As the Confederacy's leading diplomat, he traveled to Europe seeking support, but proved unable to get the United Kingdom to recognize the Confederacy as a country. As Mason sailed to England in November 1861, the U.S. Navy captured his ship and detained him, in what became known as the Trent Affair. Released after two months, Mason continued his voyage, and assisted Confederate purchases from Britain and Europe but failed to achieve their diplomatic involvement. As the war ended, Mason went into exile in Canada, but later returned to Alexandria, Virginia, where he died in 1871.[3]

  1. ^ Lee, Michele (May 18, 2011). "James Murray Mason". Gunston Hall. Archived from the original on September 26, 2009. Retrieved March 7, 2009.
  2. ^ "Mason family of Virginia". The Political Graveyard. June 16, 2008. Archived from the original on April 4, 2013. Retrieved March 7, 2009.
  3. ^ Young, 1998.