James DeWolf

James DeWolf (or D’Wolf, 1764-1837) was a slave trader. He was a son of Mark Anthony DeWolf and Abigail Potter. During the Revolution, he sailed on privateer ships owned by his uncle, Simeon Potter. James went on to be the wealthiest man in Bristol, and served as a United States senator. In 1790, he married Anna Bradford. The couple had several children between 1790 and 1810. In 1810, during a session of the General Assembly, the Rhode-Island American, and General Advertiser reported of James: “Although his arguments are not exactly suited to the vulgar ear of a New-England man, yet they are admirably calculated to suit the refined notions of a Virginia slave holder.” James owned or held stock in multiple Cuban coffee and sugar plantations. He also sold various goods at a store in Bristol. In 1809, he rented out a farm in South Kingstown, and in 1812, a farm in Bristol. During the War of 1812, James owned privateer ships, and captured British ships were auctioned off at his wharf. In 1813, his store burned down and exploded. In 1814, he donated a large sum of money to the sailors wounded in the Battle of Lake Erie. In 1816, he made a proposal that the government should support the manufacture of cotton. He was a commissioner responsible for collecting money for the Bank of the United States. In 1820, James was a director of the Mount Hope Bank, and Speaker of the House of Representatives of the General Assembly. Upon his election to the Senate, newspapers noted that his wealth was gained through the slave trade. In 1825, he proposed the construction of a toll gate in Cranston, and also resigned his seat in the Unites States Senate. His house, which still stands in Bristol, was originally built as a school next to the Town Common. Years after his death, his tomb was broken into, and his coffin was destroyed.