Peter Myndert Dox

Peter Myndert Dox (September 11, 1813 – April 2, 1891) was an American politician who served the state of Alabama in the U.S. House of Representatives between 1869 and 1873. A member of the Democratic Party representing Alabama, he contributed to the legislative process during two terms in office, serving in Congress during a significant period in American history as the nation adjusted to the aftermath of the Civil War and Reconstruction.

Dox was born in Geneva, Ontario County, New York, on September 11, 1813. He was the eldest child of Abraham Dox and Anne Cary (née Nicholas) Dox. His family was prominent in both commerce and public service. His paternal grandfather, Pieter Dox, was a merchant and skipper who served in both the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. Among his paternal uncles were Myndert M. Dox, who served as Collector of the Port of Buffalo, and Gerrit L. Dox, who held the office of New York State Treasurer. On his mother’s side, his maternal grandfather was John Nicholas, a U.S. Representative from Virginia’s 18th district, giving Dox a direct familial connection to early national politics. He grew up among several siblings, including John Nicolas Dox, Mary Blair Dox (who married Timothy Fales Wardwell), Anne Nicholas Dox, and Ernest B. Dox.

Dox received his early education in his native region and went on to attend Hobart College in Geneva, New York. He graduated from Hobart College in 1833, an education that prepared him for a professional career in the law and public affairs. Following his graduation, he studied law, was admitted to the bar, and began practicing in Geneva. His legal training and practice formed the foundation for his later work in legislative and judicial roles.

Dox’s public career began in New York State politics. He served as a member of the New York State Assembly in 1842, representing his constituency in the state legislature. Later, he was appointed a judge of the Ontario County courts, serving from November 1855 until his resignation on March 18, 1856. During this period he was associated with the Know Nothing movement, reflecting the complex and shifting political alignments of the 1850s. After leaving the bench, he chose to relocate to the South, moving to Alabama and settling in Madison County, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits and established himself as a planter.

In Alabama, Dox became involved in the state’s political reorganization following the Civil War. He served as a delegate to the Alabama constitutional convention of 1865, which was convened to frame a new state constitution in the early Reconstruction era. His participation in this convention marked his transition from New York state politics to a significant role in Alabama’s political life. In 1868, he was elected as a Democrat to the U.S. House of Representatives from Alabama and was reelected for the following term, serving from 1869 until 1873. During his two terms in Congress, he represented the interests of his Alabama constituents and took part in the national legislative process at a time when Congress was deeply engaged with issues of Reconstruction, readmission of former Confederate states, and the reshaping of federal-state relations.

Dox’s personal life included two marriages. On October 12, 1854, he married Matilda Walker Pope (1826–1871). Their marriage coincided with his move south and establishment in Alabama. After the death of his first wife in 1871, during his period of congressional service, he married Margaret Simpson. Following the conclusion of his second term in the House of Representatives in 1873, Dox retired from public life and did not seek further elective office, devoting his remaining years to private pursuits in Alabama.

Peter Myndert Dox died in Huntsville, Alabama, on April 2, 1891. He was buried in Maple Hill Cemetery in Huntsville. His career spanned state and national service in both New York and Alabama, and his tenure in Congress placed him at the center of the nation’s political transformation during Reconstruction, as he participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of his constituents in a critical era of American history.