A vocal anti-slavery activist, James Swan was born and raised in Fifeshire, Scotland, immigrating to Massachusetts in 1765, the same year as the Stamp Act Riots.
He worked as a clerk in counting houses and various shops, though his passion lay elsewhere.
Swan was a true revolutionary, publishing a pamphlet criticizing the institution of slavery the year before the Boston Tea Party in 1772. He also joined the Freemasons of St. Andrew’s Lodge, the branch that had a hand in the planning of the “destruction of the tea.” Swan’s revolutionary spirit compelled him to join the American forces in the early days of the Revolutionary War. He reportedly became an aide to General Joseph Warren at the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775. He eventually served in both artillery and cavalry regiments while engaging in civic roles. He served as a secretary to the Massachusetts Board of War and served as a member of the Legislature in 1778.
Following the Revolutionary War, James Swan spent time in France, entering several supply contracts that launched a successful business career. In 1795, Swan helped to negotiate the liquidation of the Revolutionary War debt that the United States owed to France. However, an unscrupulous business partner left him mired in an immense amount of debt, for which Swan spent twenty-two years in debtor’s prison. Research shows that it is possible that he died while in St. Pelagie prison, but conclusive evidence has not been found.
James Swan died on March 18, 1831, and is buried in Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, France.
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