O'Hara, James Edward, 1844-1905

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person

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O'Hara, James Edward, 1844-1905

Computed Name Heading

Name Components

Surname :

O'Hara

Forename :

James Edward

Date :

1844-1905

eng

Latn

authorizedForm

rda

Genders

Male

Exist Dates

Exist Dates - Date Range

1844-02-26

1844-02-26

Birth

1905-09-15

1905-09-15

Death

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Biographical History

James Edward O'Hara (February 26, 1844 – September 15, 1905) was an American politician and attorney who in 1882, after Reconstruction, was the second African American to be elected to Congress from North Carolina. He was born in New York City to parents of mixed-race West Indian and Irish ancestry and was raised in the West Indies. As a young man, he traveled to the southern United States after the American Civil War with religious missionaries from the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, an independent black denomination, to help freedmen establish independent lives and new congregations. O'Hara became active in politics, being elected as a Republican to local and state offices.

O'Hara passed the bar in North Carolina in 1873 and started a law practice there. In 1878, he ran for Congress and won, but his white opponent was ruled the winner by corrupt public officials. In 1882, O'Hara was elected as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina's 2nd congressional district, where there was a black majority. He served two terms. After being defeated in the 1886 election, he returned to his law practice.

eng

Latn

External Related CPF

https://viaf.org/viaf/68519291

https://www.worldcat.org/identities/lccn-no96000383

https://id.loc.gov/authorities/no96000383

https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1310301

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Languages Used

eng

Latn

Subjects

African American legislators

Legislators

Nationalities

Americans

Activities

Occupations

Teachers

Lawyers

Newspaper publishers

Representatives, U.S. Congress

State Representative

Legal Statuses

Places

New Bern

NC, US

AssociatedPlace

Death

Goldsboro

NC, US

AssociatedPlace

Residence

New York City

NY, US

AssociatedPlace

Birth

Enfield

NC, US

AssociatedPlace

Residence

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<conventionDeclaration><citation>VIAF</citation></conventionDeclaration>

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Mandates

Identity Constellation Identifier(s)

w6qn6nnj

36629809