Pinchback, Pinckney Benton Stewart, 1837-1921

Variant names
Dates:
Birth 1837-05-10
Death 1921-12-21

Biographical notes:

Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchback was governor of Louisiana between Dec. 9, 1872 and Jan. 13, 1873. He was the first African American to become governor of a U.S. state.

From the description of Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchback letter, 1883 Oct. 5. (Louisiana State University). WorldCat record id: 301745352

From the description of Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchback signature, 1885 Oct. 24. (Louisiana State University). WorldCat record id: 721929073

1837 Born May 10, near Macon, Georgia, to a slave mother, Eliza Stewart, and a white Mississippi planter, said to be William Pinchback, who subsequently manumitted the mother of his children. 1848 1861 Forced to make his own living, he followed steam boating on the Ohio, Missouri, Red and Mississippi Rivers, becoming a steward, the highest position a man of his race could then attain in this line of employment. 1860 Married Nina Emily Hawthorne. 1862 Recruited to a company of black soldiers (Corps d'Afrique) in response to call of Major General Benjamin F. Butler that free men of color take up arms in defense of the Union. 1867 Entered the political arena, organizing the fourth-ward Republican Club. Elected a member of the Republican State Committee and a delegate to the State Constitutional Convention of 1868, where his major achievement was the successful introduction of the Thirteenth or Civil Rights Article of the Constitution of Louisiana. 1868 Elected State Senator and delegate-at-large to the National Republican Convention at Chicago. 1870 Began publication of the semi-weekly "Louisiana" which he ran for eleven years. 1871 Elected President of the Senate of Louisiana, and Lieutenant Governor to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Lieutenant Governor Oscar J. Dunn. 1872 Nominated Governor of Louisiana by the Republican State Convention but in the interest of the party, accepted a compromise which made him a candidate for Congress from the State at large. Ran the celebrated Rail Road Race with Governor Warmoth. 1875 Elected by the Legislature of Louisiana as United States Senator for a term of six years, a seat which he was denied by action of the Senate three years later. 1873 Appointed Commissioner to the Vienna Exposition. 1875 Reelected United States Senator in case of a vacancy. 1876 Elected by the Republican State Convention delegate-at-large to the National Convention at Cincinnati. 1879 Appointed Internal Revenue Agent. Elected delegate to the State Constitutional Convention called by the Democratic state government. 1880 Elected delegate to the National Republican Convention at Chicago. 1882 Appointed Surveyor of Customs by President Arthur for the Port of New Orleans. 1883 Appointed member of the Board of Trustees of Southern University. 1884 Elected delegate to the National Republican Convention at Chicago. Was a member of City and State Boards of Education throughout the Republican regime in Louisiana. 1885 Graduated from the Law Department of Straight University (now Straight College) in New Orleans, LA. 1886 Admitted Lo the bars of the Federal and State Courts of Louisiana. 1921 December 21 Died in Washington, D.C.

From the guide to the Pinckney Benton Steward Pinchback Papers, 1865-1901, (Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, Howard University)

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Subjects:

not available for this record

Occupations:

  • Governors

Places:

  • Macon, GA, US
  • Louisiana, LA, US
  • Washington, D. C., DC, US

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