African American Politics - presented by Genealogy Trails

Name	Born	Died	Political Life	Personal Life
James (J.) McWashington	Alabama, ca. 1840	date, place unknown	Delegate to 1868-69 Constitutional Convention from Montgomery County	Born into slavery Also worked as a farmer Wife Elizabeth and their nine children
Elias (Elius) Mayes (Mays)	Virginia or Conecuh County, Alabama, January of 1830 or February 15, 1831	Bryan, Texas, January 5, 1910	Representative in 16th (1879) and 21st (1889) Legislatures from Bryan (Brazos County)	Born into slavery Also worked as a farmer and minister Second wife Maggie and their child from his previous marriage
David Medlock	Georgia, ca. 1824	date, place unknown	Representative in 12th (1870-71) Legislature from Springfield (Limestone, Falls and McClennan Counties) Involved in Radical Republican Association	Born into slavery Illiterate Also worked as a farmer and preacher Wife Eloy and their eight children
John Mitchell	Tennessee, April of 1837	date, place unknown	Representative in 12th Legislature from Burleson (Burleson, Brazos and Milam Counties) Representative in 14th (1874-75) Legislature from Burleson (Burleson and Washington Counties) Delegate to 1875 Constitutional Convention from Burleson, Brazos, Milam and Washington Counties Nominee to the 1879 U. S. Congress Involved with the Radical Republican Association	Born into slavery Also worked as a farmer and blacksmith Wife Viney or Vina and their five children
Henry Moore	Alabama, 1810	before 1880, place unknown	Representative in 12th (1870-71) and 13th (1873) Legislatures from Marshall (Harrison County)	Born into slavery (bought freedom in 1842?) Illiterate Also worked as a farmer and manager Wife Harriet and their three children
Robert (R.) J. Moore	Navasota, Texas, 1844	date, place unknown	Representative in 18th (1883-84) and 19th (1885) Legislatures from Brenham (Washington County) Representative in 20th (1887-88) Legislature from Washington (Washington County)	Also worked as a teacher Wife (unknown name) and their three children
Sheppard (Shepherd, Shepart, Shepard) Mullens (Mullins)	Lawrence County, Alabama, ca. 1828 or 1829	Waco, Texas, August 6 or 7, 1871	Delegate to 1868-69 Constitutional Convention from McClennan, Limestone and Falls Counties Representative in 12th (1870-71) Legislature from Waco (McClennan, Limestone and Falls Counties)	Born into slavery Also worked as a blacksmith Wife Sallie
Edward (Ed A.) Patton	Texas, ca. 1859	date, place unknown	Representative in 22nd (1891-1892) Legislature from Evergreen (San Jacinto and Polk Counties)	Also worked as a teacher and farmer Reportedly shot by a sheriff while running for a second term
Henry Phelps	Virginia, ca. 1829	date, place unknown	Representative in 13th (1873) Legislature from Richmond (Wharton, Fort Bend and Austin Counties)	Born into slavery Illiterate Also worked as a farmer Wife Maria and their two children
William Reynolds (Renalds)	Baltimore, Maryland, January of 1831	before 1910, place unknown	Delegate to 1872 National Republican Convention from Liberty, Texas Delegate to 1875 Constitutional Convention from Waller County	Also worked as a teacher Wife M. A. and their two children
Walter E. Ripton (Ripetoe/Riptoe)	Alabama, 1838	date, place unknown	Senator in 15th (1876) and 16th (1879) Legislatures from Marshall (Harrison County)	Also worked as a teacher
Meshack (Shack) R. Roberts	Arkansas, ca. 1821	date, place unknown	Delegate to 1873 State Republican Convention Representative in 13th (1873) and 15th (1876) Legislatures from Marshall (Harrison County) Representative in 14th (1874-75) Legislature from Marshall (Rusk and Harrison Counties)	Born into slavery Illiterate Whipped in 1867 by members of the Ku Klux Klan Also worked as a blacksmith and minister
George Thompson (G.T.) Ruby	New York, 1841	New Orleans, Louisiana, October 31, 1882	Delegate to 1868-69 Constitutional Convention from Galveston, Brazoria and Matagorda Counties Delegate to 1868 and 1872 National Republican Conventions Senator in 12th (1870-71) and 13th (1873) Legislatures from Galveston (Galveston, Brazoria and Matagorda Counties) Elected from predominantly white district Involved with the Freedman's Bureau and Union League	Also worked as a reporter, editor, organized laborer and teacher Beaten by a white mob while trying to establish a school Wife Lucy
Alonzo (Andrew/A.L.) Sledge	Chappell Hill, Texas, August 15, 1854	date, place unknown	Representative in 16th (1879) Legislature from Chappell Hill (Burleson and Washington Counties)	Born into slavery Also worked as a minister
Robert Lloyd (R.L.) Smith	Charleston, South Carolina, 1861	Waco, Texas, July 10, 1942	Representative in 24th (1895) and 25th (1897) Legislatures from Oakland (Colorado County), the last African-American to serve until the modern Civil Rights movement Delegate to 1896 National Republican Convention	Also worked as a principal Wife Ruby and their two adopted children
Henry Sneed (Snead)	Marshall, Texas, ca. 1849	date, place unknown	Representative in 15th (1876) Legislature from Hempstead (Wharton, Waller and Fort Bend Counties)	Born into slavery Also worked as a farmer Wife Emma
James H. (J.H.) Stewart	Caddo Parish, Louisiana, September of 1857	1924, place unknown	Representative in 19th (1885) Legislature from Calvert (Robertson County)	Born into slavery Also worked as a teacher and principal
James H. (J.H.) Washington	Fredericksburg, Virginia, May of 1850	Galveston, Texas, December 23, 1916	Delegate to 1872 National Republican Convention Delegate to 1872, 1873, 1876, 1884, 1888 and 1890 State Republican Conventions Delegate to 1873 State Colored Men's Convention Representative in 13th (1873) Legislature from Navasota (Madison, Grimes and Walker Counties)	Also worked as a farmer, customs inspector and principal Wife Mary and their child
Benjamin (Ben) O. Watrous	McMinn County, Tennessee, ca. 1831	date, place unknown	Delegate to 1868-69 Constitutional Convention from Washington County	Born into slavery Also worked as a wheelwright and minister Carter was original surname; Watrous was his owner's name
Allen W. Wilder	North Carolina, ca. 1845	date, place unknown	Representative in 13th (1873) Legislature from Chappell Hill (Washington County) Representative in 15th (1876) Legislature from Chappell Hill (Washington County) for about a month until he was unseated by election on May 13, 1876	Born into slavery Also worked as a teacher, lawyer and engineer Wife Annis or Amis and their five children
Benjamin Franklin (B.F.) Williams	Brunswick County, Virginia, ca. 1819 or 1825	Kendleton, Texas, date unknown	Delegate to 1868-69 Constitutional Convention from Colorado and Lavaca Counties Refused to sign the 1869 Texas Constitution and withdrew from the Convention before it adjourned Representative in 12th (1870-71) Legislature from Columbus (Colorado and Lavaca Counties) Representative in 16th (1879) Legislature from East Bernard (Fort Bend, Wharton and Waller Counties) Representative in 19th (1885) Legislature from Hempstead (Waller and Fort Bend Counties) Delegate to 1872 National Republican Convention Involved with the Union League	Born into slavery Also worked as a barber, minister, land speculator and mechanic Wife Caroline and their child
Richard (R.) Williams	South Carolina, ca. 1822	date, place unknown	Representative in 12th (1870-71) and 13th (1873) Legislatures from Huntsville (Walker, Grimes and Madison Counties) Involved in Radical Republican Association	Born into slavery Illiterate Also worked as a mechanic and minister Wife (unknown name)
George W. Wyatt	Waller County, Texas, : ca. 1848	date, place unknown	Representative in 18th (1883-84) Legislature from Hempstead (Waller and Fort Bend Counties)	Also worked as a teacher