Mark Alexander (politician)

For the contemporary British artist, see Mark Alexander (painter).

Mark Alexander (February 7, 1792 – October 7, 1883) was a nineteenth-century lawyer and political figure from Virginia.

Mark Alexander, Jr.
Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from Mecklenburg County
In office 1845 Alongside William Goode
In office 1815 – 1818 Alongside Armistead Burwell, Edward Tarry and Peyton Burwell
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 18th district
In office March 4, 1819 – March 3, 1823
Preceded by	Thomas M. Nelson
Succeeded by	Joseph Johnson
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 4th district
In office March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1833
Preceded by	William McCoy
Succeeded by	James Gholson
Chairman of the Committee on the District of Columbia
In office March 4, 1825 – March 3, 1829
Preceded by	Edward Lloyd
Succeeded by	Gershom Powers
Personal details
Born	February 7, 1792 Boydton, Virginia
Died	October 7, 1883(1883-10-07) (aged 91) Scotland Neck, North Carolina
Resting place	Scotland Neck, North Carolina
Political party	Crawford Democratic-Republican (before 1825)
Other political affiliations	Jacksonian (after 1825)
Alma mater	University of North Carolina

Biography

Born on a plantation near Boydton, Virginia, Alexander attended the public schools as a child and graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1811. He studied law and was admitted to the bar, commencing practice in Boydton. He was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 1815 to 1819 before he was elected a Democratic-Republican, Crawford Republican and Jacksonian to the United States House of Representatives in 1818, serving from 1819 to 1833, where he served as chairman of the Committee on the District of Columbia from 1825 to 1829.

After declining renomination in 1832, he was a delegate to the Virginia Constitutional Convention from 1829 to 1830 and was again a member of the House of Delegates from 1845 to 1846. Alexander then retired from political life and engaged in managing his large plantation until his death in Scotland Neck, North Carolina on October 7, 1883. He was interred in Episcopal Church Cemetery in Scotland Neck.

Alexander was a slave owner.^[1] He owned a plantation that had, depending on estimates, between 30 and 100 slaves.^[2][3]

Elections

• 1823; Alexander was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives unopposed.
• 1825; Alexander was re-elected unopposed.
• 1827; Alexander was re-elected unopposed.
• 1829; Alexander was re-elected unopposed.
• 1831; Alexander was re-elected unopposed.