Evan Shelby Alexander

Evan Shelby Alexander (c. 1767–October 28, 1809) was a slave owner, lawyer, legislator from the Salisbury District of North Carolina, and a United States Democratic-Republican Party Congressman from North Carolina between 1806 and 1809. Born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, around 1767, he was the son of a Revolutionary War officer who was also a slave owner. He grew up in the post-Revolutionary South, where his family’s status and connections helped position him for a career in law and politics.

Alexander attended local common schools in North Carolina before pursuing higher education at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University). He graduated from Princeton in 1787 and was a member of the Whig society, later known as the Whig-Clio. Demonstrating classical learning, he delivered a commencement address in Greek at his graduation. After completing his collegiate studies, he read law, was admitted to the bar, and established a legal practice in Salisbury, North Carolina, where he became a prominent attorney.

Alexander’s public career began in state politics. He was elected to the North Carolina House of Commons from the Salisbury District, serving from 1796 to 1803. During these years he participated in the legislative affairs of a rapidly developing state in the early national period, representing the interests of his district in matters of law, governance, and economic development. In addition to his legislative work, he was appointed a trustee of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, serving in that capacity from 1799 to 1809. His trusteeship placed him among the early overseers of one of the first public universities in the United States, reflecting his involvement in the advancement of higher education in North Carolina.

Alexander’s service in the United States Congress came during a significant period in American history, marked by the dominance of the Democratic-Republican Party and ongoing debates over federal power, foreign policy, and westward expansion. Following the resignation of Representative Nathaniel Alexander, his cousin, Evan Shelby Alexander was chosen in a special election to fill the vacancy. A member of the Republican (Democratic-Republican) Party representing North Carolina, he took his seat in the 9th Congress on February 24, 1806. He was subsequently elected in the regular congressional elections of 1806 and served through the 10th Congress, holding office until March 3, 1809. Over the course of these two terms, he contributed to the legislative process, participating in the democratic governance of the young republic and representing the interests of his North Carolina constituents in the national legislature.

After leaving Congress in March 1809, Alexander’s public career effectively came to a close. He remained associated with his legal and educational interests in North Carolina, including his ongoing role as a trustee of the University of North Carolina until his death. He died on October 28, 1809, only months after the end of his congressional service. His career reflected the trajectory of a Southern lawyer and planter-politician of the early United States, combining legal practice, state legislative service, educational stewardship, and national office during the formative years of the American republic.