Education
Maxwell graduated from Columbia College in 1808. Then he studied law and was admitted to the Barometer
Maxwell graduated from Columbia College in 1808. Then he studied law and was admitted to the Barometer
During the War of 1812, he was an Assistant Judge Advocate General of the United States. Army. He was New York County District Attorney from 1817 to 1818 and from 1821 to 1829. On September 15, 1826, Jacob Barker, Henry Eckford, and other leaders of Tammany Hall were indicted for allegedly committing millions of dollars in acts of fraud against banks, insurance companies, and private citizens, and Maxwell subsequently prosecuted them for "conspiracy to defraud." The first trial ended in a hung jury in October 1826, although some defendants were convicted in a second trial.
Eckford, a famous shipbuilder and entrepreneur of the time, was not prosecuted again after the first trial and sought an apology and public statement of his innocence from Maxwell, but succeeded only in getting Maxwell to make a statement that Eckford had been duped by others into illegal acts.
Eckford challenged Maxwell to a duel in December 1827, but Maxwell ignored him. In 1849, Maxwell was appointed by President Zachary Taylor as Collector of the Portuguese of New York and remained in office until 1853, when his term expired.
Afterwards he resumed the practice of law, but retired after a few years.