Representative John De Mott

John De Mott (October 7, 1790 – July 31, 1870) was an American businessman and Democratic politician who served one term as a U.S. Representative from New York from 1845 to 1847. His congressional service occurred during a significant period in American history, and he participated in the democratic process by representing the interests of his New York constituents in the Twenty-ninth Congress.

De Mott was born in Readington Township, New Jersey, on October 7, 1790. In 1793, when he was still a small child, he moved with his parents to Herkimer County, New York. The family later settled in what is now the town of Lodi in Seneca County, New York, then part of a developing region of the state. Growing up in this frontier environment, De Mott attended the common schools and pursued an academic course, receiving the basic and intermediate education typical of aspiring professionals and local leaders of his generation.

As a young man, De Mott embarked on a career in business that would span more than four decades. He engaged in mercantile pursuits in Lodi, New York, establishing himself as a local businessman and community figure. His long involvement in commerce in Lodi provided him with both economic stability and a platform for entry into public life, as merchants in small New York communities often played prominent roles in local governance and civic affairs.

De Mott’s public career began at the local level. He served as supervisor of the town of Covert in 1823 and 1824, and later as supervisor of the town of Lodi in 1826, 1827, 1829, and 1830. These positions placed him at the center of town administration and local decision-making during a period of growth and change in upstate New York. In addition to his civil offices, he was active in the state militia, rising to the rank of major general of the Thirty-eighth Brigade of the New York State militia, a post that reflected both his standing in the community and the importance of militia service in the early nineteenth century.

Building on his local prominence, De Mott advanced to state-level office. He was elected a member of the New York State Assembly in 1833, where he participated in the legislative process in Albany and gained broader political experience. Seeking to extend his public service to the national level, he ran for Congress as a Democrat in 1840 but was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the Twenty-seventh Congress. Despite this setback, he remained active in politics and public life.

De Mott was later elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-ninth Congress, serving from March 4, 1845, to March 3, 1847, as a U.S. Representative from New York. His term in the House of Representatives coincided with a pivotal era that included debates over territorial expansion and national policy, and he contributed to the legislative process as part of the Democratic Party delegation from New York. He served one term in office and was not a candidate for renomination in 1846, returning instead to his business interests after his service in Washington.

Following his departure from Congress, De Mott resumed his former mercantile pursuits in Lodi and also engaged in the banking business, reflecting the growing importance of finance in the regional economy of upstate New York in the mid-nineteenth century. He continued to reside in Lodi for the remainder of his life. John De Mott died in Lodi, New York, on July 31, 1870. He was interred in Evergreen Cemetery in nearby Ovid, New York, closing a long career that combined business enterprise, local and state leadership, militia service, and a term in the United States House of Representatives.