James Pearce

James Pearce
United States Senator
from Maryland
In office
March 4, 1843 – December 20, 1862
Preceded byJohn L. Kerr
Succeeded byThomas H. Hicks
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Maryland's 2nd district
In office
March 4, 1835 – March 3, 1839
Preceded byRichard B. Carmichael
Succeeded byPhilip Thomas
In office
March 4, 1841 – March 3, 1843
Preceded byPhilip Thomas
Succeeded byFrancis Brengle
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates
In office
1831-1835
Personal details
Born
James Alfred Pearce

(1805-12-14)December 14, 1805
Alexandria, DC, U.S.
DiedDecember 20, 1862(1862-12-20) (aged 57)
Chestertown, Maryland, U.S.
Political partyWhig, Democrat
Spouses
Martha J.Laird
(m. 1829; died 1845)
Matilda Cox Ringgold
(m. 1847)
Children4, including James Alfred Pearce Jr.
Alma materCollege of New Jersey
Profession
  • Politician
  • lawyer
Signature
James A. Pearce, photograph by Mathew Brady

James Alfred Pearce (December 14, 1805 – December 20, 1862) was an American politician. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the second district of Maryland from 1835 to 1839 and 1841 to 1843. He later served as a U.S. Senator from Maryland from 1843 until his death in 1862.

In 1850, he developed the so-called Pearce Plan, a part of Compromise of 1850. The Pearce Plan provided a solution for the boundary dispute between Texas and the Federal government.[1] Pearce wrote a bill that granted Texas $10 million in compensation for agreeing with the state borders charted by the government. After being approved by Congress, the bill was signed by President Millard Fillmore.[2]

  1. ^ Compromise of 1850, Lone Star Junction, a Texas history resource.
  2. ^ Boundary Dispute