Horace Everett

Horace Everett (July 17, 1779 – January 30, 1851) was an American politician who served seven consecutive terms as a United States Representative from Vermont. A member of the Anti-Jacksonian opposition and later the Whig Party, he participated in the national legislative process during a formative period in the early nineteenth century, representing the interests of his Vermont constituents in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Everett was born on July 17, 1779, in Foxboro, Massachusetts, the son of John Everett and Melatiah (Metcalf) Ware. He was a descendant of Richard Everett, an early settler and founder of both Springfield and Dedham, Massachusetts, and he was a first cousin of Edward Everett, who would later serve as a U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and the fifteenth Governor of Massachusetts. Raised in New England, Horace Everett came of age in the post-Revolutionary era, in a family with deep regional roots and a tradition of public service.

Everett pursued higher education at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, from which he graduated in 1797. Following his graduation, he studied law, preparing for a professional career in the legal field at a time when formal legal education was often conducted through apprenticeship and independent study. He was admitted to the bar in 1801 and soon thereafter established his law practice in Windsor, Vermont. His move to Windsor marked the beginning of a long association with the town and with the state of Vermont, where he would spend the remainder of his professional and public life.

In addition to his legal practice, Everett quickly became involved in public affairs at the local and state levels. He served as State’s Attorney for Windsor County, Vermont, from 1813 until 1818, a role in which he was responsible for prosecuting criminal cases on behalf of the state and helping to maintain public order in a growing rural region. He was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives in 1819, 1820, 1822, and 1824, and returned again as a member in 1834. His repeated elections to the state legislature reflected the confidence of his community in his judgment and leadership. In 1828, he further contributed to Vermont’s governance as a delegate to the state constitutional convention, participating in the revision and refinement of the state’s fundamental law.

Everett’s national political career began with his election to the United States House of Representatives as an Anti-Jacksonian candidate. He was elected to the Twenty-first, Twenty-second, Twenty-third, and Twenty-fourth Congresses as part of the Anti-Jacksonian opposition to President Andrew Jackson, and subsequently as a Whig to the Twenty-fifth, Twenty-sixth, and Twenty-seventh Congresses. In total, he served seven consecutive terms in the House, from March 4, 1829, to March 3, 1843. During these years, the nation confronted issues such as the Bank of the United States, internal improvements, tariff policy, and the evolving balance between federal and state authority. As a member of the Whig Party representing Vermont, Everett contributed to the legislative process during this significant period in American history, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his constituents in debates over economic development and national policy.

Everett’s personal life was closely tied to his professional and political base in Windsor. On October 31, 1811, he married Mary Leverett. The couple had one son, also named Horace Everett. His family connections, including his kinship with Edward Everett and his descent from Richard Everett, placed him within a broader network of New England families active in public life, and his own career added to that legacy of civic engagement.

After leaving Congress in 1843, Everett returned to private life in Windsor, where he continued to be regarded as a respected figure in the community he had long served. He remained in Windsor until his death on January 30, 1851. Horace Everett died in Windsor, Vermont, closing a career that had spanned local, state, and national service during a transformative era in the early republic.