Ezra Butler

Ezra Butler

Ezra Butler (born September 24, 1763 in Lancaster , Worcester County , Province of Massachusetts Bay , †  July 12, 1838 in Waterbury , Vermont ) was an American politician and governor of Vermont from 1826 to 1828 . Between 1813 and 1815 he represented this state in the US House of Representatives .

Early years and political advancement

The Butler family settled in West Windsor as early as 1770 . In Claremont , young Ezra worked in agriculture. Despite his youth, he took an active part in the War of Independence for a short time . In 1785 he then settled in Waterbury. After studying law and being admitted to the bar, he began working as a lawyer in this city in 1786.

Ezra Butler was in 1790 one of three councilors his hometown ( town selectmen ). Between 1794 and 1808 he was a member of the Vermont House of Representatives several times, with a few interruptions . In the meantime, he was the first district judge in Chittenden County from 1803 to 1806 . Between 1808 and 1825 he worked as a judge in various counties. This period was interrupted by his election to the United States House of Representatives in 1812. There he completed a legislative period between March 4, 1813 and March 3, 1815. At that time Butler was a member of the Democratic Republican Party . In 1822 he was a member of a commission to revise the Vermont state constitution.

Vermont governor

In 1826, Butler was elected as the new governor of his state as a candidate for the National Republican Party that had emerged from his old party . He took office on October 13, 1826 and, after being re-elected in 1827, could remain in office until October 10, 1828. During his reign, the state lottery was abolished. To improve education policy, Vermont teachers were required to take an exam before entering the profession.

Another résumé

After the end of his tenure, Butler became involved in the anti-Masonic movement . The subject of Freemasonry was the subject of heated debates in Vermont in the 1820s and 1830s. Ezra Butler died in July 1838. He and his wife Tryphena Diggins had eleven children.

Web links

• Ezra Butler in the National Governors Association (English)
• Ezra Butler in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)
• Ezra Butler in the database of Find a Grave (English)