Thomas James Robertson (August 3, 1823 – October 13, 1897) was a United States senator from South Carolina. Born near Winnsboro, he completed preparatory studies and graduated from South Carolina College (now the University of South Carolina) at Columbia in 1843. He engaged in planting and owned slaves.[1] He was a member of the State constitutional convention in 1865.
Thomas James Robertson
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| United States Senator from South Carolina | |
| In office July 15, 1868 – March 4, 1877 | |
| Preceded by | James Chesnut, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Matthew Butler |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1823-08-03)August 3, 1823 near Winnsboro, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | October 13, 1897(1897-10-13) (aged 74) Columbia, South Carolina |
| Resting place | Elmwood Cemetery |
| Political party | Republican |
| Alma mater | South Carolina College |
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Upon the readmission of the State of South Carolina to representation in Congress in 1868, Robertson was elected as a Republican to the U.S. Senate; he was reelected in 1871 and served from July 15, 1868, to March 4, 1877, and was not a candidate for reelection amidst the end of Reconstruction. While in the Senate he was chairman of the Committee on Manufactures (Forty-second through Forty-fourth Congresses). He retired from public life and active business due to ill health, and in 1897 died in Columbia. He was buried in Elmwood Cemetery.
| U.S. Senate | ||
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| Preceded by vacant1 |
U.S. senator (Class 2) from South Carolina 1868–1877 Served alongside: Frederick A. Sawyer, John J. Patterson |
Succeeded by |
| Notes and references | ||
| 1. Because of South Carolina's secession from the Union in 1860, seat was declared vacant from 1860-1868 when James Chesnut, Jr. withdrew from the Senate. | ||