= James Shields = '''James Shields''' was a [[UnitedStates/DemocraticParty|Democratic]] politician and [[UnitedStates/Senate|senator]]. <> ---- == History == Shields immigrated from [[Ireland]] in 1826. Following [[UnitedStates/StephenADouglas|Douglas']] resignation from the '''Illinois Supreme Court''' in 1843, Shields was eventually appointed to that seat. Shortly after he left the court to serve as commissioner of the [[UnitedStates/BureauOfLandManagement|General Land Office]]. He fought in the [[WorldHistory/MexicanAmericanWar|Mexican-American War]] as a brigadier general. [[UnitedStates/JamesKPolk|Polk]] nominated Shields to serve as governor of the new '''Oregon Territory'''. Despite receiving [[UnitedStates/Senate|Senate]] approval, he declined the office to instead (successfully) contest [[UnitedStates/SidneyBreese|Breese's]] seat in the senate. Amid a four-way contest involving [[UnitedStates/AbrahamLincoln|Lincoln]], [[UnitedStates/LymanTrumbull|Trumbull]], and [[UnitedStates/JoelAldrichMatteson|Matteson]], he lost that senate seat in 1854. (Notably, the latter two were also Democrats.) He moved to '''Minnesota Territory''' and, when it acceded to the union as a state in 1858, he was nominated for the new senate seat. He and [[UnitedStates/HenryMowerRice|Rice]] held a lottery to decide who would take the shorter term. As a result, Shields only served until the next Congress was sworn in, in March 1859. He then moved to California. He fought in the [[UnitedStates/CivilWar|Civil War]] as a brigadier general. He was considered for promotions to major general, and for command over the Army of the Potomac, but ultimately he resigned due to a poor relationship with [[UnitedStates/EdwinStanton|Stanton]]. Following the war, he settled in Missouri. He was put forward for the senate seat in 1868, but ultimately not elected to it. In 1874, he was nominated by the [[UnitedStates/DemocraticParty|Democrats]] and elected to represent Carroll county in the '''Missouri House of Representatives'''. Following [[UnitedStates/LewisVBogy|Bogy's]] death in 1877, [[UnitedStates/DavidHArmstrong|Armstrong]] filled his senate seat for about 2 years until Shields was elected in 1879 to serve the final few months. He did not seek re-election. He is the only person to have served in the Senate for three different states. ---- == Policies == ---- CategoryRicottone