Representative Charles Hudson

Charles Hudson was an American historian, clergyman, and politician who served as a Congressman in the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts in the mid-nineteenth century. He was born on November 14, 1795, in Marlborough, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, into a New England family of modest means. Orphaned at an early age, he was largely self-educated, working on farms and in local trades while pursuing his studies independently. His early life in rural Massachusetts, combined with a strong personal interest in learning and public affairs, laid the foundation for his later careers in the ministry, historical writing, and politics.

Hudson’s formal education was limited, but he pursued theological studies as a young man and prepared for the Universalist ministry. He was ordained a Universalist clergyman and began preaching in the 1820s, serving congregations in Massachusetts. His work as a minister brought him into close contact with local communities and gave him a platform as a public speaker and moral advocate. During this period he also began to cultivate his interest in history and civic life, which would later be reflected in his published historical works and his long record of public service.

Hudson’s political career began at the state level. A member of the Whig Party, he served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1828 to 1833 and again in 1839, and in the Massachusetts State Senate from 1833 to 1839. In these roles he participated in the legislative debates of a rapidly industrializing state, addressing issues of infrastructure, finance, and education. His reputation as a careful, informed legislator grew alongside his standing as a clergyman and local leader. He also held various local offices, including service on school committees and in town affairs, reflecting his ongoing commitment to civic improvement.

In 1841 Hudson was elected as a Whig to the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts. He served in Congress from March 4, 1841, to March 3, 1849, encompassing the Twenty-seventh through Thirtieth Congresses. During his tenure, he represented a state deeply engaged with questions of national economic policy, territorial expansion, and the emerging sectional conflicts over slavery. As a Whig Congressman, he generally supported protective tariffs, internal improvements, and a cautious approach to territorial acquisition. He served on several committees, contributing to deliberations on finance and national policy, and was known for his methodical approach to legislative work rather than for flamboyant oratory.

After leaving Congress in 1849, Hudson continued in federal service for a time. He was appointed by President Zachary Taylor as a naval officer of the port of Boston, a customs post concerned with the supervision of revenue collection and maritime trade, and he held that position for several years. He later served as an internal revenue assessor during and after the Civil War period, participating in the administration of the federal tax system at a time when the government’s fiscal structure was being reshaped to meet wartime and postwar needs. These appointments reflected both his experience in financial matters and the confidence placed in him as an administrator.

In addition to his political and administrative work, Hudson was a noted historian and author. He wrote detailed local histories, including a history of his native town of Marlborough and a history of the town of Lexington, Massachusetts, works that combined documentary research with careful narrative and helped preserve the record of early New England communities. His historical writing, grounded in town records, family papers, and oral tradition, made him a respected figure among nineteenth-century American local historians. He also contributed essays and addresses on historical and civic topics, reinforcing his reputation as both a public man and a scholar of regional history.

Hudson remained active in public and intellectual life into his later years, continuing to write, lecture, and participate in local affairs in Massachusetts. He lived to see the Civil War and the profound transformations it brought to the nation whose early development he had chronicled in his historical works. Charles Hudson died on May 4, 1881, in Lexington, Massachusetts. He was buried in that community, leaving behind a legacy as an American historian and politician whose career spanned the pulpit, the state legislature, the U.S. Congress, and the world of New England historical scholarship.