Pinchback, Pinckney Benton Stewart, 1837-1921

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)