James Grant (December 12, 1812 – March 14, 1891) was an American lawyer, statesman, and business leader in Davenport, Iowa. James was born on his family's plantation near Enfield in Halifax County, North Carolina on December 12, 1812. He attended the University at Chapel Hill (now known as University of North Carolina) and graduated in 1831, before his eighteenth (18) birthday. While at UNC, he was a member of the Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies. He read law and moved west.