John Lothrop Motley was born in Boston, Massachusetts on June 24, 1800. He graduated from Harvard College in 1816, and after studying law in the office of John Adams, was admitted to the bar in 1820. He was admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Massachusetts, in 1821. The same year he was elected a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, and in 1822 was appointed one of the judges of the Suffolk County Court
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In 1823 he resigned his seat in Congress because he had accepted a commission as judge to fill a vacancy in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. In this position he served until 1830, when he resumed his law practice at Boston. He was subsequently elected a member of the Massachusetts Senate, and again during his term as judge filled various offices with credit to himself and advantage to his fellow citizens.
In 1838 he was appointed United States attorney for the district of Massachusetts, and served until 1840, when his appointment as consul-general to Mexico by President Martin Van Buren expired. During Mr. Motley's term as consul-general many interesting events occurred both at home and abroad.
At Tampico there were eight hundred American sailors captured by Mexicans. They were released only upon their signing an agreement that they would never again fight against their country. Another event occurring during Mr.
Motley's term as consul-general was the annexation of Texas by the United States. He accompanied President James K. Polk and Secretary of State John Forsyth on their trip through Texas and presented them with a plan for its future government; this plan became known as "The Motley Report" and laid down some important principles for its government which have had a deep influence upon its history ever since (see Texas).
His term as consul-general ended on October 4, 1840; soon thereafter he returned to public life as member of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts (January 3, 1841 – March 3, 1841). On May 20, 1842 President John Tyler nominated him to be Minister Plenipotentiary and Minister Resident to Portugal; but before confirmation could be had by Congress he died on October 22, 1842 (see Portugal).
