James Madison Hughes

James Madison Hughes (April 7, 1809 – February 26, 1861) was a U.S. Representative from Missouri and a 19th-century lawyer, legislator, and businessman. He was born in Bourbon County, Kentucky, where he received a liberal schooling that prepared him for professional study and public life. After completing his early education, he pursued the study of law, reflecting the common path of many aspiring public figures of his era.

Hughes studied law in Kentucky and, after meeting the requirements for legal practice, was admitted to the bar. He subsequently moved to Liberty, Missouri, where he established his law practice. In addition to his legal work, he engaged in mercantile pursuits in Liberty, combining a professional legal career with commercial activity in a growing frontier community. This dual involvement in law and business helped to establish his standing in local affairs and provided a foundation for his entry into politics.

Hughes’s public career began at the state level. He served as a member of the Missouri House of Representatives in 1839, participating in the legislative affairs of a state that was still relatively young and developing rapidly. His service in the state legislature enhanced his visibility and influence within the Democratic Party in Missouri and positioned him for higher office.

Building on his state legislative experience, Hughes was elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-eighth Congress, serving as a U.S. Representative from Missouri from March 4, 1843, to March 3, 1845. During this single term in the U.S. House of Representatives, he took part in the national legislative process at a time marked by debates over territorial expansion and economic policy. Although he did not return for subsequent terms, his service in Congress placed him among the notable Missouri Democrats of the antebellum period.

After his congressional service, Hughes continued his professional and business pursuits. In 1855 he moved to St. Louis, Missouri, which had become a major commercial and financial center in the Mississippi Valley. There he engaged in the banking business, shifting his focus more fully into finance and commerce while remaining a figure of some prominence in the state.

James Madison Hughes died in Jefferson City, Missouri, on February 26, 1861. He was interred at Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri, a burial place for many of the state’s leading political and civic figures. His career reflected the trajectory of a 19th-century American public man who combined law, business, and politics at both the state and national levels.