Henry Booth Cowles

Henry Booth Cowles (March 18, 1798 – May 17, 1873) was a U.S. Representative from New York and a 19th-century lawyer and state legislator. He was born in Hartford, Connecticut, on March 18, 1798. In 1809, during his childhood, he moved with his father to Dutchess County, New York, a relocation that placed him within the Hudson Valley region where he would establish his early professional and political connections.

Cowles pursued a formal education at Union College in Schenectady, New York, one of the leading institutions of higher learning in the state during the early 19th century. He was graduated from Union College in 1816, completing his studies at a relatively young age. Following his collegiate education, he studied law, preparing for admission to the bar at a time when legal training was typically obtained through apprenticeship and independent study rather than through formal law schools.

After completing his legal studies, Cowles was admitted to the bar and commenced the practice of law in Putnam County, New York. His legal career in this region helped establish his reputation and provided a foundation for his entry into public life. As a practicing attorney, he became involved in local affairs and gained experience that would support his later legislative and congressional service.

Cowles entered state politics as a member of the New York State Assembly, in which he served from 1826 to 1828. His tenure in the Assembly coincided with a period of significant political realignment in New York and the nation, as factions coalesced around or against the policies of President Andrew Jackson. During these years, Cowles was aligned with the Anti-Jacksonian forces that would later be associated with the National Republican and emerging Whig movements.

Building on his state legislative experience, Cowles was elected as an Anti-Jacksonian to the Twenty-first Congress, representing New York in the U.S. House of Representatives. He served a single term in Congress from March 4, 1829, to March 3, 1831. His service placed him in the national legislature during the early years of the Jackson administration, a time marked by intense debate over federal authority, economic policy, and internal improvements. As an Anti-Jacksonian, he was part of the congressional opposition to the president’s policies, although specific details of his committee assignments and legislative initiatives are not extensively documented.

After his term in Congress, Cowles returned to the practice of law. In 1834 he moved to New York City, which was rapidly expanding as the nation’s principal commercial and financial center. There he continued his legal career, practicing law for several decades. His relocation to New York City reflected the broader shift of professional and political activity toward the metropolis in the mid-19th century, and he remained engaged in his profession until late in life.

Henry Booth Cowles practiced law in New York City until his death there on May 17, 1873. Following his death, he was interred in Rhinebeck Cemetery in Rhinebeck, New York, returning in burial to the Hudson Valley region where he had spent his early years and begun his legal and political career.