Representative James Machir - Contact Information

James Machir (1764 – June 25, 1827) was a United States Representative and state legislator from Virginia who was active in public life during the early decades of the American republic. Little is recorded about his early life, family background, or place of birth, and contemporary sources do not provide details about his upbringing or education. He emerged in the historical record as a public figure in Virginia in the 1790s, a period when the new federal and state governments were still taking shape following the ratification of the Constitution.

By 1793, Machir had entered state politics as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates. He served in that body from 1793 to 1796, participating in the legislative affairs of a state that was then one of the largest and most influential in the Union. During these years, Virginia politics were increasingly defined by the rivalry between Federalists and Democratic-Republicans over issues such as federal power, fiscal policy, and relations with Great Britain and France. Machir aligned himself with the Federalist Party, which generally favored a stronger national government and closer commercial ties with Britain.

In 1796, Machir sought national office and was elected as a Federalist to the Fifth Congress. In a competitive multi-candidate race, he won 45.44 percent of the vote, defeating fellow Federalist Thomas Wilson and Democratic-Republican candidates John Mitchell and George Jackson. He represented Virginia in the U.S. House of Representatives from March 4, 1797, to March 3, 1799, serving a single term. His tenure in Congress coincided with a significant period in American history marked by the administration of President John Adams, the Quasi-War with France, and intense partisan conflict over foreign policy and internal security measures. As a Federalist member from Virginia, Machir contributed to the legislative process during this contentious era, participating in the democratic governance of the young nation and representing the interests of his constituents within a predominantly Democratic-Republican state.

After leaving Congress at the close of the Fifth Congress in 1799, Machir returned to Virginia and resumed his involvement in state politics. He again served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 1811 to 1813, a period that encompassed the lead-up to and early years of the War of 1812, when questions of national defense, militia organization, and relations with Britain were central concerns. He later returned for another term of service in the House of Delegates from 1818 to 1821, participating in state legislative affairs during the postwar years, when Virginia and the nation were addressing issues of economic adjustment, internal improvements, and westward expansion.

Details of Machir’s private life, professional activities outside of public office, and personal views beyond his Federalist affiliation are not well documented in surviving records. Nonetheless, his repeated elections to the Virginia House of Delegates and his service in the U.S. House of Representatives reflect a sustained role in public affairs over several decades. James Machir died on June 25, 1827, closing a career that had spanned both state and national service during the formative years of the United States.