Born in
Mecklenburg County, North Carolina to his father, a Revolutionary War officer and slave owner around 1767, Alexander attended the common schools and then
Princeton College, graduating in 1787, and was a member of the Whig society (later the
Whig-Clio), and delivered a commencement address in Greek. Alexander was elected to the
North Carolina House of Commons from the
Salisbury District, serving from 1796 to 1803, and was a trustee of the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1799 to 1809. Following the resignation of Rep.
Nathaniel Alexander, his cousin, Evan Shelby Alexander was chosen in a special election to fill the vacancy; he was elected to a term in regular Congressional elections in 1806, serving in the
9th and
10th Congresses and serving from February 24, 1806 to March 3, 1809. He died shortly after leaving Congress, on October 28, 1809. ==References==