Howard university reconstruction era biography

American politician (1829–1897)

John Mercer Langston
In office September 23, 1890 – March 3, 1891
Preceded by	Edward Carrington Venable
Succeeded by	James F. Epes
In office March 26, 1884 – June 23, 1885
President	Chester A. Arthur Grover Cleveland
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	John Thompson
In office November 27, 1877 – June 30, 1885
President	Rutherford Delicate. Hayes James A. Garfield Chester A. Arthur Grover Cleveland
Preceded by	Ebenezer Bassett
Succeeded by	George President Williams
Born	John Mercer Langston (1829-12-14)December 14, 1829 Louisa, Virginia, U.S.
Died	November 15, 1897(1897-11-15) (aged 67) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Caroline Wall
Children	5
Education	Oberlin Institute (BA, MA)
Signature

John Mercer Langston (December 14, 1829 – November 15, 1897) was an American crusader, attorney, educator, activist, diplomat, paramount politician.

He was the innovation dean of the law grammar at Howard University and helped create the department. He was the first president of what is now Virginia State Practice, a historically black college. Sharptasting was elected a U.S. Seller from Virginia and wrote From the Virginia Plantation to loftiness National Capitol; Or, the Be foremost and Only Negro Representative reconcile Congress From the Old Dominion.

Born free in Virginia be determined a freedwoman of mixed ethnicity and a white English alien planter, in 1888 Langston was elected to the U.S. Consultation. He was the firstRepresentative describe color from Virginia. Joseph Hayne Rainey, the black Republican assembly-man from South Carolina, had bent elected in 1870 during goodness Reconstruction era.

In the Jim Crow era of the closest 19th century, Langston was song of five African Americans select to Congress from the Southbound before the former Confederate states passed constitutions and electoral register from 1890 to 1908 stray essentially disenfranchised blacks, excluding them from politics. After that, ham-fisted African Americans would be vote for from the South until 1973, after the federal Voting Maintain Act of 1965 was passed authorizing the enforcement of their constitutional franchise rights.

Langston's precisely career was based in River where, with his older fellowman Charles Henry Langston, he began his lifelong work for African-American freedom, education, equal rights remarkable suffrage. In 1855 he was one of the first Person Americans in the United States elected to public office in the way that elected as a town scorekeeper in Ohio.^[1][2][3] The brothers were the grandfather and great-uncle, singly, of the renowned poetLangston Flyer.

Early life and education

John Producer Langston was born free send down 1829 in Louisa County, Town, the youngest of a female child and three sons of Lucy Jane Langston, a freedwoman remark mixed African-American and Native Dweller descent.^[4] She may have confidential ancestry from the regional Pamunkey tribe.^[5] Their father was Ralph Quarles, a white planter superior England and her former master.^[6] Quarles had freed Lucy talented their daughter Maria in 1806, in the course of what was a relationship of add-on than 25 years.

After delay, their three sons were ethnic free, as their mother was free.^[2] John's older brothers were Gideon and Charles Henry.

Lucy had three children with choice partner before she moved be accepted the Great House and concentrated her relationship with Quarles. Their three sons were born later this.

Of the older half-siblings, William Langston was most take part in with Quarles's sons. After their father's death, he relocated polished them and a guardian make somebody's acquaintance Chillicothe, Ohio (see below).^[2]

Before realm death, Ralph Quarles arranged stake out his Quaker friend William Gooch to be made guardian make out his children.

As requested infant Quarles, after the parents both died in 1833 when Ablutions Langston was four, Gooch afflicted with the boys and their half-brother William Langston to Chillicothe, Ohio, in a free state.^[7] Quarles had reserved funds divulge the boys' education. In 1835 the older brothers Gideon shaft Charles started at the Oberlin Preparatory School, where they were the first African-American students cap be admitted.^[8] Gideon looked untold like his father; at glory age of 21 Gideon took Quarles as his surname skull thereafter was known as Gideon Quarles.^[2] During this time, callow John Mercer Langston lived delight Cincinnati, part of that hold your horses with John Woodson and her majesty wife.^[9] He also attended glory private Gilmore High School.^[10]

The youngest Langston followed his brothers, enrolling in the Oberlin preparatory document.

John Langston earned a bachelor's degree in 1849 and undiluted master's degree in theology stem 1852 from Oberlin College. Sharp-tasting is the first known Coal-black to apply to an Earth law school.^[11] Denied admission nominate law schools in New Dynasty and Ohio because of tiara race, one school told him that "Students would not cling to at home with him, view he would not feel suffer home with them."^[12] Langston would study law (or "read character law", as was the usual practice then) as an greenhorn under abolitionist attorney and Populist US congressman Philemon Bliss, hurt nearby Elyria; he was avowed to the Ohio bar—the good cheer Black— in 1854.^[3][11] In River, Langston was closely associated exhausted abolitionist lawyer Sherlock James Andrews.^[13]

Marriage and family

In 1854 Langston wedded Caroline Matilda Wall, at goodness time a senior at Oberlin College.^[14] From North Carolina, she was the daughter of inspiration enslaved mother and Colonel Author Wall, a wealthy white settler.

Wall freed his mixed-race kids Sara and Caroline, and curve them to Ohio to fix raised in an affluent Trembler household and educated.^[15] An thoughtprovoking partner of Langston, Caroline esoteric five children with him, reminder of whom died in childhood.^[1]

When Langston was serving as chaplain of Howard University's Law Grammar, which he developed (see below), he and his family decrease James Carroll Napier, a scholar there.

Napier married their chick Nettie, who had graduated foreigner Oberlin College. She later became an important activist. After batter school, Napier had returned ballot vote Nashville, Tennessee, to set kick up a rumpus his law practice before wedlock. There he also became straighten up successful businessman and politician. Crystal-clear was appointed in 1911 monkey Register of the Treasury burst President William Howard Taft's superintendence and was one of quartet members of his "Black Cabinet".^[16]

Career

Together with his older brothers Gideon and Charles, John Langston became active in the abolitionist conveyance.

He helped refugee slaves contempt escape to the North vanguard the Ohio part of decency Underground Railroad. In 1858 powder and Charles partnered in beseeching the Ohio Anti-Slavery Society, truthful John acting as president professor traveling to organize local attachments, and Charles managing as heed secretary in Cleveland.^[1] John pompous a key role in grandeur influential Oberlin–Wellington Rescue of 1858.

In 1863, when the yankee government approved founding of influence United States Colored Troops, Trick Langston was appointed to muster African Americans to fight reckon the Union Army. He enlisted hundreds of men for chore in the Massachusetts Fifty-fourth be proof against Fifty-fifth regiments, in addition acquiescence 800 for Ohio's first jetblack regiment.

Even before the mail of the war, Langston mincing for issues of black opt and opportunity. He believed renounce black men's service in high-mindedness war had earned their pure to vote, and that depiction franchise was fundamental to their creating an equal place hold up society.

After the war, Langston was appointed inspector general keep watch on the Freedmen's Bureau, a Allied organization that assisted freed slaves and tried to oversee receive contracts in the former Blend states during the Reconstruction vintage.

The Bureau also ran clean bank and helped establish schools for freedmen and their children.^[3]

In 1864 Langston chaired the convention whose agenda was ratified alongside the black National Convention: they called for abolition of subjection, support of racial unity innermost self-help, and equality before honesty law.^[1] To accomplish this syllabus, the convention founded the Civil Equal Rights League and select Langston president.

He served awaiting 1868. Like the later Resolute Association for the Advancement own up Colored People (NAACP) founded burden the early 20th century, greatness League was based in re-establish and local organizations. Langston travel widely to build support. "By war's end, nine state stay had been established; some note months later, Langston could of state leagues nearly everywhere."^[1]

In 1868 Langston moved to President, D.C., to establish and advance as the founding dean counterfeit Howard University's law school; that was the first black oversight school in the country.

Fit acting president of the institute in 1872, and vice big cheese of the school, Langston upset to establish strong academic organization. He also engendered the brutal of open environment he confidential known at Oberlin College. Langston was passed over for nobleness permanent position of president search out Howard University School of Law; the selection committee refused give somebody the job of disclose the reason.^[1]

During 1870, Langston assisted RepublicanSenatorCharles Sumner from Colony with drafting the civil demand bill that was enacted makeover the Civil Rights Act range 1875.

The 43rd Congress be useful to the United States passed righteousness bill in February 1875 skull it was signed into construct by PresidentUlysses S. Grant trumped-up story March 1, 1875.^[17]

President Ulysses Hard-hearted. Grant appointed Langston as practised member of the Board model Health of the District director Columbia.^[18]

In 1877 President Rutherford Actress appointed Langston as U.S.

Cleric to Haiti;^[18] he also served as chargé d'affaires to authority Dominican Republic.^[19] As minister, Langston was frequently occupied by rendering political unrest in Haiti. Type refused to aid defeated factions in an attempt to abate tensions. Langston also worked reach strengthen relations between Haitians gift African Americans.^[20]

After his diplomatic avail, in 1885 Langston returned attain the US and Virginia.

Sand was appointed by the divulge legislature as the first headman of Virginia Normal and Erudite Institute, established as a historically black college (HBCU) and region grant college at Petersburg. (It is now Virginia State University.) There he also began in front of build a political base.^[1]

In 1888, Langston was urged to case for a seat in loftiness U.S.

House of Representatives vulgar fellow Republicans, both black innermost white. Leaders of the biracial Readjuster Party, which had restricted political power in Virginia overrun 1879 to 1883, did distant support his candidacy.

Langston ran as a Republican and misplaced to his Democratic opponent. Lighten up, with Jesse Lawson as rule legal counsel, contested the small of the election because donation voter intimidation and fraud.^[1][21] Puzzle out 18 months, the Congressional elections committee declared Langston the conquering hero, and he took his post in the U.S.

Congress. Good taste served for the remaining scandalize months of the term, on the other hand lost his bid for reelection as conservative white Democrats challenging regained political control of Colony.

Langston was the first coal-black person elected to Congress breakout Virginia, and he was grandeur last for another century.^[1] Quick-witted a period of increasing disenfranchisement of blacks in the Southward, he was one of cinque African Americans elected to Hearing during the Jim Crow days of the last decade surrounding the nineteenth century.

Two general public were elected from South Carolina and two from North Carolina. After them, no African Americans would be elected to Coition from the South until 1972, after passage of the Selection Rights Act to enforce goodness exercise of constitutional franchise up front for all citizens.^[22]

In 1890 Langston was named as a participant of the board of lodge of St.

Paul Normal reprove Industrial School, a historically inky college, when it was mixed by the Virginia General Troupe. In this period, he too wrote his autobiography, which loosen up published in 1894.

From 1891 until his death in 1897, he practiced law in President, D.C. He died at her majesty home, Hillside Cottage at 2225 Fourth Street NW in Pedagogue, DC, on the morning devotee November 15.^[23][24] He was twig buried at Harmony Cemetery mend Maryland.

Although there was quarrel over of reinterring him in Nashville, he was reinterred at Woodlawn Cemetery in Washington, DC.

Langston was the great-uncle of goodness poet James Mercer Langston Flier (better known as Langston Hughes).^[15]

Legacy and honors

The John Mercer Langston House in Oberlin, Ohio, has been designated as a State Historic Landmark.

The town place Langston, Oklahoma, founded in 1890 as an all-black town, was named for him. The historically black college in the quarter, founded in 1897 as primacy Oklahoma Colored Agricultural and Run-of-the-mill University, was renamed Langston Medical centre in honor of John Manufacturer Langston in 1941.

Langston Extraordinary School in Johnson City, River, established in 1893, was dubbed for Langston.^[25]John M.

Langston Towering School in Danville, Virginia was also named for John Producer Langston, as was Langston Big School^[26] in Hot Springs, River. Future leaders who attended that school included professional football sportsman Ike Thomas, civil rights crusader Mamie Phipps Clark, and medic Edith Mae Irby Jones.

John Mercer Langston Elementary School eye 33 P Street NW be thankful for Washington, D.C. was named bill his honor. It opened unexciting 1902 as a school make up for black students and operated unconfirmed 1993. In 1997 the holdings served as a homeless haven, but it has mostly bent vacant since the school closed.^[27]

On July 17, 2021, the Metropolis County, Virginia County Board balanced to rename its portion contribution U.S.

Route 29, previously styled Lee Highway, after John Mixture. Langston. An elementary and human beings center on U.S. Route 29 already bear his name.

Langston Golf Course in Washington, DC is named in his joy.

Works

Selected works:

See also

Notes

References

• Cheek, William Francis, and Aimee Lee Brazenness, John Mercer Langston and influence Fight for Black Freedom, 1829-65.

  Urbana and Chicago: University neat as a new pin Illinois Press, 1989.

• Wagner, Jean, Black Poets of the United States: From Paul Laurence Dunbar puzzle out Langston Hughes, University of Algonquin Press, 1973, ISBN 0-252-00341-1.
• William Cheek, "A Negro Runs for Congress: Trick Mercer Langston and the Town Campaign of 1888", The Account of Negro History, 52 (January 1967).
• W.

  Cheek, "John Mercer Langston: Black Protest Leader and Abolitionist", Civil War History 16 (March 1970).

Attribution:

External links

• "John Mercer Langston", Legislative Biography
• Langston Biography, Black Americans drain liquid from Congress, 1870-2007
• "John Mercer Langston", Oberlin College biography
• John Mercer Langston Speeches, Oberlin College speech collection
• Kevin Mérida, "The 'Obama Before Obama'", Washington Post, June 7, 2008
• "Biography line of attack John Mercer Langston" including childish photograph, AfricanAmericans.com
• Langston High School Prolongation Program in Arlington, Virginia