Cyrus King

Cyrus King (September 6, 1772 – April 25, 1817) was a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts and a member of the Federalist Party, noted for his service during the early national period and for being the half-brother of statesman Rufus King. He was born in Scarborough, in the Province of Maine in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, where he spent his early years in what was then a frontier region of New England. Growing up in the household that also produced Rufus King, he was exposed early to public affairs and the political currents of the Revolutionary and post-Revolutionary eras.

King pursued a rigorous education that prepared him for a career in law and public service. He attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, one of the leading preparatory schools in New England, and then enrolled at Columbia College in New York City. He was graduated from Columbia College in 1794, at a time when the institution was a center of Federalist intellectual and political influence. Following his collegiate studies, he read law, laying the foundation for his later legal and political career.

In 1796, King entered international public service as private secretary to his half-brother Rufus King, who had been appointed United States Minister to Great Britain. In this capacity, Cyrus King accompanied Rufus King to England and assisted him in diplomatic and administrative duties, gaining first-hand experience in foreign affairs and the workings of the federal government abroad. After his period of service in London, he returned to New England to complete his legal training.

King completed his law studies in Biddeford, in what was then Massachusetts’ District of Maine, and was admitted to the bar in 1797. He commenced the practice of law in nearby Saco, where he quickly became a prominent member of the local bar and an influential figure in civic life. Beyond his legal practice, he played a significant role in the educational development of the region as one of the founders of Thornton Academy in Saco, an institution that became an important secondary school for the surrounding communities. He also pursued a military career in the state militia, rising to the rank of major general of the Sixth Division of the Massachusetts Militia, reflecting both his local standing and the era’s expectation that leading citizens contribute to the common defense.

King’s prominence in law, education, and the militia provided a platform for his entry into national politics. A committed Federalist, he was elected as a Federalist Party candidate to the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Congresses, representing Massachusetts. His service in the U.S. House of Representatives extended from March 4, 1813, to March 3, 1817, encompassing two full terms in office. During this significant period in American history, which included the War of 1812 and its aftermath, King participated in the legislative process, contributing to debates and decisions that shaped the young republic. As a member of the Federalist Party representing Massachusetts, he took part in the democratic process and represented the interests of his constituents from the District of Maine at a time of intense partisan division and regional concern over commerce, defense, and relations with Great Britain.

After leaving Congress at the conclusion of the Fourteenth Congress in March 1817, King returned to Saco, then still part of Massachusetts’ District of Maine. There he resumed his legal and civic activities, remaining a figure of local importance. His career reflected the intertwined legal, military, educational, and political responsibilities often assumed by leading citizens in early nineteenth-century New England.

Cyrus King died in Saco on April 25, 1817. He was interred in Laurel Hill Cemetery in that community. His life and career, closely linked to both the development of Maine and the broader Federalist movement in New England, left a record preserved in part through his congressional service and through collections such as the Cyrus King papers held at Columbia University’s Rare Book & Manuscript Library.