African-American officeholders in the United States, 1789–1866
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In 1836, Alexander L. Twilight became the first African American to be elected as a state legislator in the United States.
The United States has had five African-American elected office holders prior to 1867. After Congress passed the First Military Reconstruction Act of 1867 and ratified the Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1870, African Americans began to be elected or appointed to national, state, county and local offices throughout the United States.[1]
Four of the five office holders served in a New England state. Three officeholders served as a state legislator.
- Wentworth Cheswell first served in an elective office in 1776 as a local school board member in Newmarket, New Hampshire. He would serve in elective office until his death in 1817.
- Alexander Lucius Twilight was an American educator, politician, and minister. He was the first African American to earn a college degree from an American College at Middlebury College in 1823. He is the first African American elected to serve in a state legislature. He was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives in 1836. Twilight was also a minister and secondary school principal, building Athenian Hall at the Orleans County Grammar Schools.
- John Mercer Langston
- Edward Garrison Walker
- Charles Lewis Mitchell was one of two African Americans to be elected as a state legislator in Massachusetts in 1866. The other state legislator was Edward G. Walker. He served a one year term in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.[2] During the American Civil War he served in the 54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry and lost a foot during the Battle of Honey Hill.[3]
Contents
List of African-American Officeholders of the United States, 1789-1866
- Political Parties
Party affiliation not known Republican
| Officeholder | State | Public office | Took office | Left office | Party | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wentworth Cheswell (1746–1817) |
New Hampshire | Local School Board | 1776 | [4][5][6] | ||||
| Justice of the Peace | 1805 | 1817 | ||||||
|
|
Alexander L. Twilight (1795–1857) |
Vermont | State Legislator | 1836 | 1857 | [7][8][9][10] | ||
|
|
John Mercer Langston (1829–1897) |
Ohio | Township Clerk | 1854 | Liberty Party of Ohio | [11][12][13] | ||
|
|
Edward G. Walker (1831–1901) |
Massachusetts | State Legislator | 1866 | 1867 | Republican | [14][15][16] | |
| Charles L. Mitchell (1829-1912) |
Massachusetts | State Legislator | 1866 | Republican | [15] | |||
See also
Federal government
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- African Americans in the United States Congress
- List of African-American United States Cabinet Secretaries
- List of African-American officeholders during Reconstruction
State and local government
References
- ↑ Walton, Puckett & Deskins (2012), pp. 185–186.
- ↑ Hewitt (1991), pp. 453.
- ↑ Baum (1983), pp. 62.
- ↑ Walton, Puckett & Deskins (2012), pp. 185 (table), 186–187.
- ↑ Cocom (1999).
- ↑ Fitts (1912), pp. 103, 468.
- ↑ Winter.
- ↑ Alexander.
- ↑ Hahan (1998).
- ↑ Smith (1993), pp. 118 note 59.
- ↑ Walton, Puckett & Deskins (2012), pp. 14, 185 (table), 186.
- ↑ Smith (1993), pp. 408.
- ↑ United States Congress.
- ↑ Hurst.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Walton, Puckett & Deskins (2012), pp. 14, 185 (table).
- ↑ Smith (1993), pp. 100, 118 note 59.
Bibliography
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