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![]() He was well known not only in the U.S., but aboard for his his leadership role the fight to abolish slavery. Twice he ran as a candidate for the presidency, the second time while a resident of this community. Bay City is among a few communities with such a unique history, and its something that the citizens of Bay City today could rightly take pride in if they knew the history. |
Nothing was found regarding the early years of young James, nor specifically which aunt he lived with. She may have been his father's sister, Anna Marie, or one of his mother's sisters. It is assumed that James grew up near or in Dansville, KY, where his family reside. What is known is that he received a fine education -- attending Transylvania College at Lexington, KY and the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) where he was an honors graduate 1810. After his schooling he returned to Kentucky for two years, before making a move to Philadelphia where joined the law office of Alexander J. Dallas. Here he was able to study law "first-hand" for the next three years, before returning to Kentucky and setting up his own law practice.
Young James took a fancy to Agatha McDowell, the daughter of William McDowell, U.S. Circuit Court Justice. and member of one Kentucky's most influential families. Her uncle, George McDowell, was a Governor of Kentucky. James successfully courted Agatha, and the two were married on On Feb 1, 1816. That year also marked the beginning James' political career. He was elected as a representative to the Kentucky state legislature. Although he was a slave owner, James aligned himself with the minority group of legislators that were opposed to slavery. On June 7, 1817, in Dansville
James purchased a cotton farm plantation near Madison City, Alabama where he settled with his family. In addition to managing his farm, James continued his polical career being successly elect to Alabama state legislature. He was a member of the first legislature to operate under a new Alabama constitution enacted in 1819. During this time took strong stances against slavery. He unsuccessly pushed for legislation that would prohibit slaves from other states being sold in Alabama. He voted nay when a resolution was proposed to honor General Jackson on the grounds he was a slave owner.
James sold his unprofitable plantation and moved to nearby Huntsville where he opened up a law practice. The decision proved to be a timely one, shortly thereafter, he was appointment solicitor of the northern circuit and this helped considerable in the growth of his law practice.
Under gentle pressure from Agatha, James decided to give up his Episcopalian church to join the Presbyterian faith. During their years were active and influential members of a number of Presbyterian congregations, including the establishment of the Presbyterian church during the early days of Bay City when it was an infant pineer village known as Lower Saginaw. James, in a partnership with James Fraser and Dr. Daniel Fitzhugh took ownership of the faltering Saginaw Bay Company in 1848. They laid out a new village plat that year. Birney made certain that a sufficient number of "free lots" were set aside for the growth of new churches.
James legislative persistence was rewarded when the Alabama legislature finally passed the provision that he had introduced eight years to "prohibit importation of slaves from other states for sale in Alabama."
By 1828, James had established himself as a prominent person in Alabama politics. He was a candidate for presidential elector on the Adares ticket and canassed the state of Alabama for the Adams party. Locally, he was the recognized leader for educational and other improvement to Huntsville.
The 1930s saw James anti-slavery efforts reached beyond local and state politics. He made a failed attempt to engage Henry Clay, a close friend of his father and a powerful political figure in Kentucky, to lead an emancipation movement in Kentucky, which led to a political breakdown in their relationship, although they continued to maintain a cordial personal relationship. For several years during this incident, James involved was an advisor to the Cherokee nation. This experience help to expanded his interest and strong political position in supporting such groups that had been wronged by existing laws. Law he considered inconsistent with the constitution.
Disgusted and frustrated by the evil influences of slavery in Alabama, James decided it was time to leave the state and move to Jackson, Illinois, where he believed he might have a better chance of moving forward with his anti-slavery thrust. However, before departing Alabama he was unexpectedly offered an appointment by the American Colonization Society as its agent in the southwest. Believing this might be an opportunity to further his anti-slavery cause, he accepted the position. After a year he game up the position as it was clear he was wasting his time trying to alter the minds of key Alabama politicians whose properous lives were so powerfully entrenched in the economics of slavery. It would take something more than political persuasion to turn the south away from slavery.
After resigning his position with the American Colonization Society in 1833, James returned to his roots in Kentucky where thought he might have be able might achieve more favorable results in moving anti-slavery convictions. If he could influence Kentuckians to emancipate their slaves, it could act as a catalyst leading neighboring states like Virginia and Tennessee to do the same. However, his efforts faltered as during the years he was gone Henry Clay and other individuals had strengthened the opposition to anti-slavery movements. Undaunted, James freed the slave he had inherited from his father in 1834 and a year later, formed the Kentucky Anti-slavery Society, which consisted of forty members. In May of that year, he went to New York to speak before the American Anti-slavery Society, which identified him leading abolitionists of north, names like Judge William Jay, Theodore Weld, Alvan Steward and Thomas Morris. The occassion proved to be very regenerative for Birney. Upon returning to Kentucky he was intent on establishing a weekly anit-slavery newspaper. However, even this proved discouraging as no publisher was willing to print the newspaper for him. It was a tesity time of volatile conflicts among conflicting interests for or against slavery. Those advocating the end of slavery were facing serious threats of violence. Ever President Jackson took a negative stance against the abolitionist movement. He lobbied Congress and state legislatures to enact laws that would prohibit "incendiary" (anti-slavery) publications and to refuse their use of the mail system.
In spite of these obstacles and personal threats to himself and family, Birney persisted. He moved his family to Cincinnati, OH, where he found a willing publisher to print his anti-slavery newspaper. While conditions better than elsewhere, Birney still had to deal significant faction of the population upholding ownership of slaves and more than willing to actively opposed any abolitionist movement. Birney found out just how ugly things could get. On January 22, 1836, an organized mob against his abolitionist paper gathered out in front of Birney's publishing business. Birney sought help from law enforce but they wouldn't respond, saying were without the means to protect his property. Birney was left with little choice other than his power of persuasion. He confronted the mob with calm and conviction, then spoke to them about evils of slavery in such a manner they could understand how corrupting of the soul slavery is. His reasoning prevailed with a majority of the mob, which disbanded.
His publication the " Philanthropist" gained in circulation -- Birney's oracle quality, writing expertise and ability to master a subject served him well as an editor. Possessing intimate and extensive knowledge of a subject, he presented his opinion in an unconfrontation manner manner that often won over those holding an opposing point of view. Much of his personal time was spent doing speaking engagements. He traveled to towns and cities in the free states, where often addressed legislative bodies and civic groups. The common theme of his lectures pointed to the unlawful methods of those favoring slavery. Unless they are confronted these actions would erode freedom speech, free press, trial by juries, and expand the injustice of slave labor. He called for them to rally against political encroachments being made by powerful pro-slavery factions of the south who seek to spread slavery to other states.
In 1837, Birney was unanimously elected as Secretary of the American Anti-slavery Society. After accepting the postion in Sepember, he moved to New York City with his family. Birney knew the move would to New York and his new position elevate his influence in national politics. He also new that the major political parties were unwilling to seriously address the slavery issue. To push his agenda to the fore front of voters, he encouraged the development of a new political party of abolitionists that became the Liberty party. Birney was unanimously elected as the party's candidate in the presidential election of 1940. He gained only 7,369 votes in this election, but this did not discourage a man like Birney who passion and will were fuels by his faith in fight the inhumanity of slavery that he despised so much.
In 1838, Birney received the opportunity to appear before Supreme Court of the United States to address the subject of slavery, an extraction of his words from his speech before this body follows... w (a link to the full text is available at the bottom of this page)
(A link to the full speech is at the bottom of this page.)"Judging from the best and most authentic history of the Convention of 1787, it was well known then, that liberty and slavery could not permanently co-exist -- that if liberty got the upper hand, slavery, its everlasting antagonist, in some form or other, must, in the same proportion, go down, and vice versa. Being incongruous elements, they cannot dwell peaceably together -- for incongruous they ever have been, and ever must be, as sin and holiness; one must, in time, put the other down. But the ingenuity, or, rather, the lubricity of the human mind is very great; men, without much difficulty, are persuaded to think of themselves as belonging to a clique or section of society, rather than to the race, and prone to interpret or construe matters pertaining to that section according to the prepossessions, prejudices, or passions which prevail among those who are looked on as composing it."
In 1839, James lost his love, friend and companion of thirty-three years. Agatha's passing left an emptiness that in Birney could only be overcome by his deep faith in God. Inspite of his great loss, Birney carried on. The following year he traveled to England where he gave frequent lectures. The following was written by one of Birney's friends who was there and felt compelled to speak openly about Birney's many virtues .
Source: Impressions of Mr. Birney expressed by Mr. Kellogg after his return to Illinois from England."It was truly refreshing to me while I was in Great Britain, amid the many complaints against my countrymen to which I was obliged to listen, to hear our excellent friend, James G. Birney so frequently spoken of, and always in terms of unqualified approbation and respect. The mention of his name in these circles in which he was known, and they were both numerous and extensive, invariably imparted pleasure, and many were the inquiries which were made in respect to his welfare. I could not but observe that intelligent men both in England and Scotland very highly appreciated him for that trait in his character, which I have always from my first acquaintance with Mr. Birney, regarded as exhibited by him in a remarkable degree. You will doubtless understand me as referring to his candor. He never deals in exaggeration or sophistry. In his public addresses and discussions, which were numerous, in that country, as well as in his private conversations, by the sobriety of his own views, by the fairness and fullness with which he stated the positions and arguments of his opponents, and by the manliness with which he met and refuted them, he ever impressed his auditors with a conviction of the soundness of his sentiments and of the perfect reliance which might be placed upon his statements. The visits of such men to foreign lands, are an honor to our country, and leave behind them a savor which is grateful to an American citizen."
In 1841, Birney met Elizabeth Fitzhugh, the sister of Dr. Daniel H. Fitzhugh, who was among the first to purchase large tracks of government land in Michigan before it became a state, and who was a dear friend to Birney until his death. The relationship between Elizabeth and James developed quickly and a year later the two were married.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton makes mention of James in her writings, "Eighty Years And More: Reminiscences 1815-1897", publish in 1898. In Chapter V she recalls meeting James aboard ship on a trip to England in 1840. James was a friend of her husband, H. B. Stanton, and both in route to the World's Anti-slavery Convention. The verse gives some perspective to the character of James, which may read in its entiriety at digital.libary.upenn.edu/women/stanton/years/years-v.html. Her writings cover a number of other interest subjects that may be of general interest about this time period.
James along with his brother-in-law Dr. Fitzhugh had an interest in land purchases that could be sold later on for a hansome profit. Dr. Fitzhugh in fact never entered the medical practice because of the wealth that could be med in land speculations, to which he devoted the majority of his time. It was Dr. Fizhugh who was largely responsible for Birney checking out the Saginaw Valley. The two visited the area together and Birney the trip here alone in 1841. He was so impressed with the area that the he penned the following letter written on November 19, 1941 to Dr. Fitzhugh living in Livingston Co., New York.
"On Monday I went to Lower Saginaw, and made a rather extensive survey of both sides of the river, more than was done when we were together. I am more and more convinced this is to be an important commercial point. The schooner Warren, showing nothing aboard except for our furniture -- all of which could not have exceeded 10 tons -- was unable to make it over the bar (sand bars between here and Saginaw). Vessels which can navigate the bay can always make it to Lower Saginaw."
"So well convinced am I that Lower Saginaw is to be a place of some importance that I have made up my mind -- Elizabeth concurring -- to make the vicinity of it our place of settlement, and this without any expectation of our changing our location."
In the Spring of 1842, James moved his family to Saginaw which was just south of Lower Saginaw and already a growing community. They settled into the Webster House, a hotel built in 1837 by the Saginaw Bay Company. The hotel had fallen on hard times and was without a single guest. James decided to take over the entire hotel for his home. -- In July, he sent another letter off to Dr. Daniel Fitzhugh.
"The mass of our neighbors are Indians -- drunken Indians -- made drunk by white men. I'm raising my voice in protesting the inequity of making Indians drunk and cheating them."
In 1843, James and Elizabeth moved on to Lower Saginaw and stayed initially at the Sydney Campbell's Globe Hotel, which was located on the south west corner of Fifth and Water streets.
-- That year Elizabeth gave birth to their second child (Birney's thirteenth), Anna Hughes who lived to the age of three.
In 1844, Birney made a second attempt at the presidency while a resident of this city. Guy Beckley, another local resident, is believed to have written the platform for the Liberty (Freedom) Party on which Birney ran. Guy was a former Methodist paster in Vermont where he lived before coming to Bay City. He also had been a long-time activist in the anti-slavery movement. Guy traveled around the U.S. promoting his candidate, James G. Birney, as only good choice to become the country next president. Birney get 62,263 votes in spite of attempts by the Whig party who three days before the election circulated a forged letter stating candidate Birney had announced his withdrawal from the election. This letter, known as the "Garland forgery", was widely circulated in Ohio and New York and is believed to have cost Birney a significant number of votes. However, the votes Birney did get contributed to a win for James Poke over Henry Clay.
In the summer of 1845, James' health was given a tragic blow -- out horseback riding with son William, James was thrown from his horse. Feeling capable at the time, he remounted his horse and rode back to the house. The next morning he was paralyzed. Birney struggled with his condition for twos at his Lower Saginaw home before he decided to head East in 1853 to Eagleswood, New Jersey. There he hoped he might get better medical treatment to give hime some relieve to his problem. He died November 25, 1857, the same year Bay County was organized. His burial took place in the family plot at Williamsburg Cemetery in Groveland, Livingston Co., New York. Also buried here is his wife, Elizabeth, and two of their children, their daugher Anna and son Fitzhugh.
In 1963, Sidney Glazier, professor of history at Wayne State University, concluded that, "James G. Birney was one of the twenty two most outstanding citizens in Michigan history."
If you are a resident of Bay City, I encourage you to get in touch with the rich history of your community. James G. Birney is but one of many prominent individuals that shared an important part of their life here. These individuals deserve our awareness not for who they were, but for the signicance of their contributions they made to better life during during their times.
| Birney Pages |
![]() James G. Birney II {View 1857 Obituary} Family Genealogy
Family Pictorial
1893 KY Newspaper Articles
{1948 Saginaw News (pdf)}
First family: Agatha (McDowell), spouse
James Birney, 1st child
William Birney, 2nd child
David Bell Birney, 5th child
James G. Birney IV, grandson
Second family: Elizabeth (Fitzhugh), spouse Fitzhugh Birney, 1st child
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| Names Referenced |
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Beckley, Guy
Birney:
Anna Hughs
Browne, Daniel E. Rev.
Anna Marie David Bell Dion Ellen Fitzhugh Florence George Georgina James James G. James G. Sr. Margaret Martha William Clay, Henry Dallas, Alexander J. Fitzhugh, Daniel (Dr.) Fitzhugh, Elizabeth Freedom Party Glazier, Sidney Jackson (General) Jay, William (Judge) Kellogg, (IL) McDowell, Agatha McDowell, George (Ky Gov.) McDowell, William McGraw, John Morris, Thomas Reed, Mary Sage, Henry Stanton, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, H.B. Steward, Alvan Weld, Theodore |
| Subjects Referenced |
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Abolitionist movement
Adams Party Adares ticket (AL) Alabama State Legislator Alabama's Constitution (1819) American Antislavery Society American Colonization Society Banks village Cattle drive Cherokee Nation Cincinnati, OH Civil War College of NJ (Princeton) Danville, KY Engleswood, NJ Espicopalian faith Garland foregery letter Great Britain Groveland, Livingston Co., NY Hampton twsp. Huntsville, AL Jackson, IL Kentucky Anitslavery Society Kentucky State Legislator Liberty Party Lower Saginaw (Bay City) Madison City, AL Methodist pastor New York City Philadelphia, PA Philanthropist (publication) Polk, James (Pres.) Presbyterian faith Presidential candidate Saginaw Saginaw Bay Co. Salzburg village Schooner Warren Secty., American Anitislavery Soc. Supreme Court, U.S. Transylvania College, Lexington, KY br>Virginia Tennessee Wayne State University Webster House (Saginaw) Wenona village West Bay City Whig Party Williamsburg Cemetery World Antislavery Convention (1840) |
| Birney Family Notes |
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1842 - 1857 James and his second wife, Elizabeth choose Bay City as thier home at a time when it was still the wilderness area north of Saginaw known as Lower Saginaw. During a relatively short time here, James and Elizabeth played an inspiring role the the growth of this community. When he moved after a short stay in Saginaw, he wildland acreage from the west bank of the Saginaw River that today would be bordered by on the east and almost to Salzburg on the south. He sent his son, David, to there farm in Ohio bring back 300 head of Durham cattle to graze on this land. David's task was a challenging one, but he one he was able to accomplish, and in doing probably established the first and only cattle drive ever made this far north in Michigan. Some twenty years later, Henry Sage, a lumber baron from New York purchased part of this property Birney's widow, Elizabeth (Fitzhugh). In partnership with John McGraw, another New York lumbering man, Sage erected the world's largest sawmill at the river's edge just south of the what is now Midland street. The mill became a company town known as Wenona, which became a village, and ultimately a part of West Bay City along with the villages of Salzburg and Banks. Birney's youngest son, Fitzhugh, was the first to have a ceremonial bastism in this young community of pioneers. The Rev. Daniel E. Browne traveled all the way from Flint on horse back for the baptism. No force was more important in Birney's life than his faith. This fact, is well documented in written history, and establishing means for common worship was paramount in his activities of the settlement. He opened his home for regular religious services led by him that include Sunday school for educating children in displines of the Christian faith. As a partner with his friend, James Fraser and others in the Saginaw Bay Company which was formed to plat Lower Saginaw, it was Birney who insisted on setting aside lots where new churches could be built (most of these were located on Washington ave.). mainly on Washington Ave.). When Birney made his second attempt at the presidency in 1844 as the Libery party candidate, he was a resident of Lower Saginaw. James Polk of the Democratic part won, defeating Whig candiate Henry Clay with Birney a distant third. However, Birney might claim a defeat over his fellow Kentuckian Henry Clay by claiming enough votes to denie Clay the presidency. It is this community's good fortune that Birney wasn't popular enough to win the presidency. The progress of the early development main have transpired much differently without his presence. Birney was able to take on the role of being "good politician" on behalf of his chosen community. Birney knew that growth in Lower Saginaw would be stymied unless Lower Saginaw was able to get local representation on the Saginaw County Board of Supervisors. He was able to successfully petition the board to created Hampton township which covered the areas north of Saginaw. The name was chosen by Birney which came from the Hampton-on-the-Hudson, NY where his wife, Elizabeth was born. Next he set about laying the grown work for creating a new county which was carried on by his son, James after he had left Lower Saginaw to go east and tend to a nagging injury. After a long battle, Michigan approved the organization of Bay County in 1857. That year the village of Lower Saginaw was renamed Bay City breaking any reference to Saginaw. Perhaps the life influence of James and Elizabeth Birney is best exemplified by the outstanding character of their children, and in particular their four sons that voluntarily participated in the Civil War, three of which died as a result:
Died during war:
- Dion, Lieutenant (1823-1862) - Fitzhugh, Major (1842-1864) - David B., Major-General (1825-1864) Survived war: - William, Brigadier General (1819-1907) Grandson: - James G., Lieutenant (1844-1870) In 2004, the grandson has drawn the attention of many of this city when it was learned that a sabre sword belonging to Birney was available for purchase. It has been mentioned that there is some evidence to believe that young Birney was married and may have had two children, but nothing specific to support these conclusions has been developed. |
| Birney Announces Candidacy |
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Excerpt of letter Jan. 10, 1941, letter postmarked Saginaw, MI, by James G. Birney acknowledging his nomination as presidential candidate for the Libery Party of New York:
"What is our object? Liberty -- the liberty that is twinborn with justice -- the liberty that respects and protects the rights, not of the weak only, or of the strong only, but of the weak and the strong, and simply because they are humans rights. "We contend for liberty as she presents herself in the Declaration of Independence -- asserting that all men are created equal, that they are entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and treating these as rights of the Creator to man as man -- therefore inalienable. "... We long to see the first of her reign -- the abolition of slavery, and the protection of every human being in the land by just and impartial laws. "... Will the friends of liberty succeed? I have but faint hope that they will, to set off against strong fears that they will not. If we look for success to the generous love of liberty now existing. In our country, the cause is lost. "... The principles we as a nation profess other nations are beginning to put into practice..... It may be, the bright examples of other nations, older and more influential will arouse in us the honorable ambition not to be left quite behind in the race of civilization." |
| Internet Resources |
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[1838: Correspondence between F.H. Elmore of SC and James G. Birney on Slavery] Library of Congress [1840: Presidential Election] [1844: Presidential Election] Wikipedia.org [1850: Examination of Supreme Court Decision by James G. Birney] Library of Congress [Sketches of the Life and Writings of James Gillespie Birney, 1844, Beriah Green] Illinois Historical Digtization Project [James Birney and His Times: The Genesis of the Republican Party with Some Account of Abolition Movements in the South before, 1828] Book by William Birney (James G. Birney's son) ["Philanthropist (pdf file)"] From writing of H.E. Stowe, Case Western Reserve University. [Birney, Carroll & Fitzhugh burials in Williamsburg Cemetery] {Birney's Burial Marker] Williamsburg Cemetery, Groveland, Livingston Co., N.Y. [The American Churches, the Bulwarks of American Slavery] By James G. Birney, 1842 at the Library of Congress. [James G. Birney's Anti-slavery References] www.medicolegal.tripod.com/bulwarks [History of Kentucky] By Lewis Collins, and J.A. & U.P. James, 1847 [Birney Genealogy Pages] By Ken Birney. [Ashland - The Henry Clay Estate] henryclay.org [Birney Articles] MyBayCity.com Collection of Valuable Documents by Isaac Knapp, 1836] Harvard University [John Hopkins University] Holds over 1,000 over 1,000 books and pamphlets of James G. Birney. donated by son, William Birney in 1891. |
| Article Sources |
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"The Saginaw News", Oct 31, 1948, page 27.
"The Bay County Story -- Footpaths to Freeways" by Leslie E. Arndt. Library of Congress online documents. |
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