Alexander Hill Everett

Who was Alexander Hill Everett?

Alexander Hill Everett was a noted American diplomatist, politician, and Boston man of letters. His brother was Edward Everett.

Everett was born in Boston, Massachusetts to the Rev. Oliver Everett and Lucy Everett, and graduated at age 14 from Harvard College in 1806 with the highest honors of his class. After leaving College he was an assistant teacher in Phillips Exeter Academy for one year, then studied law in the office of John Quincy Adams. In 1809 he accompanied Adams to Russia, where he lived for two years as Adam's personal secretary in the legation.

At the close of the War of 1812, Governor of Massachusetts William Eustis was appointed minister to the Netherlands, and Everett accompanied him as secretary of legation, but after a year of service returned home. On the retirement of Governor Eustis from the legation, however, Everett was appointed his successor, with the rank of chargé d'affaires to The Hague, which post he held from 1818 till 1824. After Adams became president in 1825, he appointed Everett minister to Spain from 1825–1829.