Representative James Breckinridge

James Breckinridge (March 7, 1763 – May 13, 1833) was a Virginia lawyer, soldier, and Federalist politician who served in the Virginia House of Delegates and represented Virginia in the United States House of Representatives. A member of the prominent Breckinridge family, he participated in the American Revolutionary War as a young man and later held the rank of brigadier general during the War of 1812. His public career spanned the formative decades of the early republic, during which he played a role in both state and national affairs.

Breckinridge was born near Fincastle in Botetourt County in the Colony of Virginia. He was the son of Robert Breckinridge, whose father had immigrated from Ireland, and the former Leticia Preston, a member of another influential Virginia family. His brother, John Breckinridge, later served as a United States Senator and Attorney General of the United States, and James Breckinridge was the great-great-great-uncle of John Bayne Breckinridge, who would serve in Congress in the twentieth century. He married Ann Cary Selden, the daughter of Wilson Cary Selden and Elizabeth Jennings; she was born in 1770 and died in 1843. Through these family connections, Breckinridge was closely linked to the political and social elite of Virginia and the broader Upper South.

Educated initially by private tutors, Breckinridge entered public service early by taking part in the American Revolutionary War. During the conflict he served in Colonel William Preston’s rifle regiment under General Nathanael Greene, gaining military experience that would later inform his service in the War of 1812. After the Revolution, he pursued higher education, attending Washington College (now Washington and Lee University) and then the College of William and Mary, from which he graduated in 1785. He subsequently studied law, was admitted to the bar, and began practicing in Fincastle in 1787, establishing himself as a lawyer in western Virginia at a time when the region was still largely frontier.

Breckinridge entered elective office in the Virginia House of Delegates in 1789 and served there intermittently until 1824, representing Botetourt County. During his long tenure in the state legislature, he took a particular interest in internal improvements and western development, including early advocacy for the construction of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal to link the Atlantic seaboard with the interior. His prominence in state politics led him to seek higher office: in 1796 he was a candidate for the United States Senate but was defeated by Democratic-Republican Stevens Thomson Mason, and in 1799 he ran for governor of Virginia, losing to Democratic-Republican James Monroe. Although unsuccessful in these statewide contests, he remained an influential Federalist voice in Virginia’s political life.

As a member of the Federalist Party representing Virginia, Breckinridge was elected to the United States House of Representatives for four consecutive terms. He won his first race for Congress in 1809, securing election to the Eleventh Congress with 56.72 percent of the vote over Democratic-Republican Alexander Wilson. He was re-elected in 1811 to the Twelfth Congress with 58.4 percent of the vote, defeating Democratic-Republican Thomas L. Preston. In 1813 he was returned to the Thirteenth Congress unopposed, and in 1815 he was again re-elected unopposed to the Fourteenth Congress, serving in the national legislature from March 4, 1809, to March 3, 1817. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, encompassing the lead-up to and aftermath of the War of 1812, and he contributed to the legislative process while representing the interests of his Virginia constituents within the Federalist minority.

During the War of 1812, Breckinridge resumed military service and held the rank of brigadier general, reflecting both his earlier Revolutionary War experience and his standing in Virginia’s militia structure. In addition to his military and legislative roles, he was closely associated with Thomas Jefferson in the establishment of the University of Virginia, lending his support to Jefferson’s vision for a state university that would serve the educational needs of the Commonwealth. His interest in economic development and infrastructure extended beyond legislation; he built a gristmill known as Breckinridge Mill in 1804 and replaced it with a new structure in 1822. This mill, located near Fincastle, later gained recognition for its historical significance and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, with a boundary increase in 2002.

In his later years, Breckinridge continued to reside in Botetourt County, overseeing his legal practice, agricultural interests, and business enterprises while remaining a respected figure in regional affairs. He died at his country home, “Grove Hill,” in Botetourt County, Virginia, on May 13, 1833, and was buried in the family burial plot on his estate near Fincastle. His legacy has been commemorated locally: Breckenridge Elementary School in Fincastle and James Breckenridge Middle School in nearby Roanoke were named in his honor, reflecting the enduring recognition of his contributions to Virginia’s political, military, and civic life.