Representative Henry Horn

Henry Horn (1786 – January 12, 1862) was a Jacksonian member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. He was born in 1786 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, then the nation’s capital and a major commercial and legal center. Little is recorded about his family background or early youth, but his subsequent professional path suggests that he received a solid education suitable for entry into the legal profession in the early nineteenth century.

Horn studied law in Philadelphia, following the customary practice of legal apprenticeship of the period rather than formal law school training, which was not yet widespread. After completing his legal studies, he was admitted to the bar and commenced the practice of law in Philadelphia. His legal career developed in a city that was a hub of political debate and economic activity, providing him with exposure to the issues that would later shape his public service.

By the late 1820s and early 1830s, Horn had aligned himself with the political movement supporting President Andrew Jackson. As a member of the Jackson Party representing Pennsylvania, he became part of the emerging Democratic coalition that advocated for a more expansive role for popular democracy and opposed certain entrenched financial interests. Drawing on his legal background and local standing, Horn entered electoral politics and sought national office.

Horn was elected as a Jacksonian to the Twenty-second Congress, serving a single term in the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, marked by contentious debates over federal authority, economic policy, and the role of the national bank. During this one term in office, he contributed to the legislative process, participating in the democratic governance of the nation and representing the interests of his Pennsylvania constituents in the House of Representatives.

In 1832, Horn was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the Twenty-third Congress. After his defeat, he returned to private life and resumed the practice of law in Philadelphia. His continued legal work kept him engaged in the civic and commercial affairs of the city, and he remained a figure of some prominence in local Democratic circles.

Horn later reentered federal service in an executive capacity. He was appointed collector of customs at Philadelphia, a significant federal post in one of the country’s principal ports. He served in this position from May 12, 1845, until August 4, 1846, overseeing the collection of customs duties that were a major source of federal revenue. This appointment reflected both his party loyalty and the trust placed in him by the Democratic administration of the era.

Henry Horn died on January 12, 1862, in Flourtown, Pennsylvania. He was interred in Woodlands Cemetery in Philadelphia, a resting place for many of the city’s notable citizens. His career, spanning law, legislative service, and federal administration, placed him among the Jacksonian-era Democrats who helped shape the political landscape of Pennsylvania and the United States in the first half of the nineteenth century.