James Shields (born either in 1806 or 1810 records conflict-June 1, 1879) was an American politican who was born in Ireland. Shields had the honor to serve in the US Senate as a Democrat for three different states. He was the senator from Illinois 1849 to 1855, from Minnesota from May 11, 1858 to March 3, 1859 and from Missouri from January 27, 1879, to March 3, 1879.
Shields was the nephew of another James Shields, also born in Ireland, who was a Congressman from Ohio. The younger Shields immigrated to the United States around 1826, and settled in Kaskaskia, Randolph County, Illinois. He served as a member of the State House of Representatives, as a state Supreme Court justice, and as the state auditor.
In 1846, Shields was selected as a Brigadier General of Volunteers to fight in the Mexican-American War. Following the war, he was appointed as Governor of Oregon Territory, but he resigned the following year to run for the Senate from Illinois. His election was voided by the Senate, on the grounds that he had not been a United States citizen for the length of time required by the United States Constitution. He returned to Illinois and campaigned for re-election, and won the special election to replace himself, and was then seated.
In 1855, he was defeated for re-election, so he moved to Minnsota. He was elected as one of the two first Senators from that state, but his term was only from 1858 to 1859, and he was not re-elected once more. He then moved to California, and served as a Brigadier General of Volunteers from that state during the American Civil War.
Following the war, he returned to California, but soon moved to Missouri, where he served as member of the state House of Representatives, and as railroad commissioner. In 1879, he was elected to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Senator Lewis V. Bogy. He served only three months, and declined to run for re-election.
Shields died in Ottumwa, Iowa.