{{Short description|American politician}} {{One source|date=August 2025}} {{Infobox Congressman | name =Alexander De Witt |image = Alexander De Witt (Massachusetts Congressman).jpg | caption = From the Clara Barton Papers in the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. Circa 1855. | state1 =[[Massachusetts]] | district1 =[[Massachusetts's 9th congressional district|9th]] | term_start1 = March 4, 1853 | term_end1 = March 3, 1857 | preceded1 =[[Edward P. Little]] | succeeded1 =[[Eli Thayer]] | office2 = Member of the [[Massachusetts Senate]] | term2 = 1842<br>1844<br>1850<br>1851 | office3 = Member of the [[Massachusetts House of Representatives]] | term3 = 1830–1836 | birth_date ={{birth date |1798|4|2}} | birth_place =[[New Braintree, Massachusetts]] | death_date ={{death date and age|1879|1|13|1798|4|2}} | death_place =[[Oxford, Massachusetts]] | party =[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]<br />[[Free Soil Party|Free-Soil]]<br />[[Know Nothing|American Party]]<br />[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] }}

'''Alexander De Witt''' (April 2, 1798 – January 13, 1879) was a 19th-century [[United States House of Representatives|American politician]] from the state of [[Massachusetts]].

Born in [[New Braintree, Massachusetts]], De Witt worked in textile manufacturing in [[Oxford, Massachusetts]]. Active in politics as a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]], he was elected to the [[Massachusetts House of Representatives]] in 1830, serving until 1836. He served in the [[Massachusetts State Senate]] in 1842, 1844, 1850, and 1851.{{citation needed|date=June 2015}}

An anti-slavery activist, De Witt later joined the [[Free Soil Party]]. As a Free Soiler he was elected to the [[33rd United States Congress|United States Congress in 1853]]. In January 1854, he was one of six signatories of the "Appeal of the Independent Democrats", drafted to oppose the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

After the demise of the Free Soil Party, De Witt joined the [[Know Nothing|American Party]], then the only major party with an anti-slavery platform. He won a second term in 1854, and served in the [[34th United States Congress|34th Congress]].{{citation needed|date=June 2015}}

He was defeated in his 1856 bid for reelection and returned to his previous work as a textile manufacturer. De Witt later became a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]], and supported the [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] during the [[American Civil War]] by participating in efforts to recruit and equip soldiers for Massachusetts regiments.

De Witt died in Oxford on January 13, 1879. He is buried in Oxford's South Cemetery.<ref>[http://www.town.oxford.ma.us/Pages/OxfordMA_Cemetery/regs Town of Oxford, MA - Rules and Regulations] {{dead link|date=September 2015}}</ref>

==References== <references/>

==External links== {{CongBio|D000282}} {{Portal|Biography}} * {{Find a Grave|7499348|access-date=September 3, 2010}}

{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-hs}} {{US House succession box |state=Massachusetts |district=9 |before=[[Edward P. Little]] |after= [[Eli Thayer]] |years=March 4, 1853 &ndash; March 3, 1857 }} {{s-end}}

{{Authority control}} {{USRepMA}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:De Witt, Alexander}} [[Category:1798 births]] [[Category:1879 deaths]] [[Category:People from New Braintree, Massachusetts]] [[Category:Free Soil Party United States representatives from Massachusetts]] [[Category:Know-Nothing United States representatives from Massachusetts]] [[Category:People from Oxford, Massachusetts]] [[Category:Activists from Massachusetts]] [[Category:19th-century United States representatives]] [[Category:19th-century members of the Massachusetts General Court]]