Representative James B. Reynolds

James B. Reynolds (1779 – June 10, 1851) was an American politician and lawyer who represented Tennessee in the United States House of Representatives during the early nineteenth century. A member of the Republican Party of his era, commonly known as the Democratic-Republican Party, he served two nonconsecutive terms in Congress and participated in the legislative process at a formative period in the nation’s political development, representing the interests of his Tennessee constituents.

Reynolds was born in County Antrim in the Kingdom of Ireland in 1779. He attended the common schools in Ireland before emigrating to the United States in 1798, during a period of substantial Irish migration to North America. After his arrival in the United States, he moved south and by 1804 had settled in Clarksville, in Montgomery County, Tennessee, a growing river town on the Cumberland River that would remain his home for the rest of his life.

Soon after establishing himself in Clarksville in 1804, Reynolds began the study of law. He pursued legal training in the customary manner of the time, reading law under established practitioners rather than attending a formal law school. In 1804 he was admitted to the bar and commenced the practice of law in Clarksville. His legal career provided the foundation for his later political activity and positioned him among the professional and civic leaders of his community.

Reynolds entered national politics as a member of the Democratic-Republican Party, then often referred to simply as the Republican Party. He was elected to the Fourteenth Congress, serving as a Representative from Tennessee from March 4, 1815, to March 3, 1817. His first term in Congress coincided with the closing phase of the War of 1812 and the beginning of the postwar “Era of Good Feelings,” a significant period in American history marked by debates over national expansion, finance, and internal improvements. After the expiration of his term, he returned to Clarksville and resumed the practice of law.

Maintaining his engagement in public affairs, Reynolds was again elected as a Democratic-Republican to the Eighteenth Congress, serving a second term from March 4, 1823, to March 3, 1825. During this period he continued to participate in the democratic process and in the legislative deliberations of a nation grappling with issues such as westward expansion and economic development. As in his earlier service, at the conclusion of his term he returned to private life in Tennessee and resumed his legal practice in Clarksville.

In addition to his legal and congressional careers, Reynolds took part in the developing financial and commercial life of his region. In 1835 he was a shareholder when the Branch Bank of Planters Bank, headquartered in Nashville, opened a branch in Clarksville, Tennessee, reflecting his involvement in local economic enterprises and the broader growth of banking in the state. His standing as a lawyer, former congressman, and investor placed him among the notable figures in Montgomery County’s civic and economic history.

James B. Reynolds died in Clarksville, Tennessee, on June 10, 1851, at about 71 years of age. He was interred at Riverside Cemetery in Clarksville, where he is buried alongside family members, including Joseph Reynolds and Bridget McCue. His life traced a path from Irish immigrant to American lawyer, legislator, and community leader, and his career formed part of the early political and institutional development of Tennessee and the United States.