John Mercer Langston
Encyclopedia
John Mercer Langston was an American abolitionist, attorney
, educator, and political activist. He was the first dean of the law school at Howard University
and helped create the department. He was the first president of what is now Virginia State University
. In 1888 he was the first African American elected to the U.S. Congress from Virginia
and the only one for nearly a century. His early career was based in Ohio
, where he began his lifelong work for African-American freedom, education, equal rights and suffrage
. In 1855 he was one of the first African-American people in the United States
elected to public office when elected as a town clerk in Ohio.
He was the younger brother of fellow abolitionist Charles Henry Langston
and the great-uncle of renowned poet
Langston Hughes
.
, the youngest of three sons and a daughter of Ralph Quarles, a white plantation
owner of English descent, and Lucy Jane Langston, a freedwoman
of mixed Africa
n and Native American
descent. Quarles freed Lucy and their daughter Maria in 1806, in the course of what was a relationship of more than 25 years. Their three sons were born free.
Lucy also had three other children with another partner before she moved into the Great House and deepened her relationship with Quarles. Their three sons were born after that. Of the half-siblings, William Langston was most involved with the Quarles' sons. He relocated with them to Chillicothe, Ohio
(see below.)
After his parents both died when Langston was four, he and his brothers, Gideon Quarles (who looked so much like his father that he took his surname at age 21) and Charles Henry Langston
, moved to Chillicothe, Ohio
with their half-brother William Langston. John was taken to live with William Gooch and his family, friends of his father's. In 1835 the older brothers Gideon and Charles started at the preparatory school at Oberlin College
, where they were the first African-American students to be admitted.
The youngest Langston enrolled in the preparatory program at Oberlin College at the age of fourteen, where his older brothers Gideon and Charles had studied. John Langston earned a bachelor's degree in 1849 and a master's degree in theology
in 1852 from Oberlin. Denied admission to law schools in New York and Ohio because of his race, Langston then studied law (or "read law", as was a practice then) under attorney
and Republican
congressman Philemon Bliss
and was admitted to the Ohio bar in 1854.
, she was the emancipated daughter of an enslaved mother and a wealthy white planter, Colonel Stephen Wall. Wall freed his mixed-race daughters Sara and Caroline, and sent them to Ohio to be raised in an affluent Quaker household. Wall provided financial support that included funds for his daughters' full education. An intellectual partner of Langston, Caroline had five children with him, one of whom died in childhood.
. In 1858 he and Charles partnered in leading the Ohio Anti-Slavery Society, with John acting as president and traveling to organize local units, and Charles' managing as executive secretary in Cleveland
.
In 1863 when the government approved founding of the United States Colored Troops
, Langston was appointed to recruit African American
s to fight for the Union Army
. He enlisted hundreds of men for duty in the Massachusetts Fifty-fourth and Fifty-fifth regiments, in addition to 800 for Ohio’s first black regiment. After the war, he was appointed inspector general for the Freedmen's Bureau, a Federal organization that assisted freed slaves and tried to oversee labor contracts; it also ran a bank and helped establish schools for freedmen and their children.
Even before the end of the war, Langston worked for issues of black suffrage and opportunity. He believed that black men's service had earned their right to vote, and that it was fundamental to their creating an equal place in society. In 1864 Langston chaired the committee whose agenda was ratified by the black national convention: they called for abolition of slavery, support of racial unity and self-help, and equality before the law. To accomplish this program, the convention founded the National Equal Rights League
and elected Langston president. He served until 1868. Like the later National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
(NAACP), the League was based in state and local organizations. Langston traveled widely to build support. "By war's end, nine state auxiliaries had been established; some twenty months later, Langston could boast of state leagues nearly everywhere."
In 1868 Langston moved to Washington, D.C.
to establish and serve as dean of Howard University
's law school; it was the first black law school in the country. Appointed acting president of the school in 1872, and vice president of the school, Langston worked to establish strong academic standards. He also hoped to create the kind of open environment he had known at Oberlin College. Langston was passed over for the permanent position of president of Howard University School of Law
by a committee that refused to disclose the reason.
President Ulysses S. Grant
appointed Langston a member of the Board of Health of the District of Columbia. In 1877 President Hayes appointed Langston as U.S. Minister to Haiti
; he also served as chargé d'affaires
to the Dominican Republic
.
In 1885 Langston returned to the US and Virginia
, where he was named the first president of Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute
, a historically black college (HBCU) at Petersburg
. There he also began to build a political base. In 1888, Langston was urged to run for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives by fellow Republicans
, both black and white. Leaders of the biracial Readjuster Party
, which had held political power in Virginia from 1879–1883, did not support his candidacy. Langston ran as a Republican and lost to his Democratic
opponent. He contested the results of the election because of voter intimidation and fraud
.
After 18 months Langston was declared the winner and took his seat in the US Congress. He served for the remaining six months of the term, and then lost his bid for reelection, as Democrats regained control of Virginia. Langston was the first black person elected to Congress from Virginia, and he was the only one for another century.
Langston was named as a member of the board of trustees of St Paul Normal and Industrial School
in the incorporation papers passed by an act of the Virginia General Assembly on March 4, 1890.
Langston was the great-uncle of poet James Mercer Langston Hughes (called Langston Hughes
).
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, educator, and political activist. He was the first dean of the law school at Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
and helped create the department. He was the first president of what is now Virginia State University
Virginia State University
Virginia State University is a historically black and land-grant university located north of the Appomattox River in Chesterfield, in the Richmond area. Founded on , Virginia State was the United States's first fully state-supported four-year institution of higher learning for black Americans...
. In 1888 he was the first African American elected to the U.S. Congress from Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and the only one for nearly a century. His early career was based in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, where he began his lifelong work for African-American freedom, education, equal rights and suffrage
Suffrage
Suffrage, political franchise, or simply the franchise, distinct from mere voting rights, is the civil right to vote gained through the democratic process...
. In 1855 he was one of the first African-American people in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
elected to public office when elected as a town clerk in Ohio.
He was the younger brother of fellow abolitionist Charles Henry Langston
Charles Henry Langston
Charles Henry Langston , an American abolitionist and political activist born free in Louisa County, Virginia, was one of two men tried after the Oberlin-Wellington Rescue, a cause célèbre in 1858 Ohio that helped gain impetus for abolition. In 1835 he was one of the first blacks admitted to...
and the great-uncle of renowned poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes
James Mercer Langston Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist. He was one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form jazz poetry. Hughes is best known for his work during the Harlem Renaissance...
.
Early life and education
Langston was born free in 1829 in Louisa County, VirginiaLouisa County, Virginia
Louisa County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 33,153. The county seat is Louisa.- History :...
, the youngest of three sons and a daughter of Ralph Quarles, a white plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
owner of English descent, and Lucy Jane Langston, a freedwoman
Freedman
A freedman is a former slave who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, slaves became freedmen either by manumission or emancipation ....
of mixed Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n and Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
descent. Quarles freed Lucy and their daughter Maria in 1806, in the course of what was a relationship of more than 25 years. Their three sons were born free.
Lucy also had three other children with another partner before she moved into the Great House and deepened her relationship with Quarles. Their three sons were born after that. Of the half-siblings, William Langston was most involved with the Quarles' sons. He relocated with them to Chillicothe, Ohio
Chillicothe, Ohio
Chillicothe is a city in and the county seat of Ross County, Ohio, United States.Chillicothe was the first and third capital of Ohio and is located in southern Ohio along the Scioto River. The name comes from the Shawnee name Chalahgawtha, meaning "principal town", as it was a major settlement of...
(see below.)
After his parents both died when Langston was four, he and his brothers, Gideon Quarles (who looked so much like his father that he took his surname at age 21) and Charles Henry Langston
Charles Henry Langston
Charles Henry Langston , an American abolitionist and political activist born free in Louisa County, Virginia, was one of two men tried after the Oberlin-Wellington Rescue, a cause célèbre in 1858 Ohio that helped gain impetus for abolition. In 1835 he was one of the first blacks admitted to...
, moved to Chillicothe, Ohio
Chillicothe, Ohio
Chillicothe is a city in and the county seat of Ross County, Ohio, United States.Chillicothe was the first and third capital of Ohio and is located in southern Ohio along the Scioto River. The name comes from the Shawnee name Chalahgawtha, meaning "principal town", as it was a major settlement of...
with their half-brother William Langston. John was taken to live with William Gooch and his family, friends of his father's. In 1835 the older brothers Gideon and Charles started at the preparatory school at Oberlin College
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
, where they were the first African-American students to be admitted.
The youngest Langston enrolled in the preparatory program at Oberlin College at the age of fourteen, where his older brothers Gideon and Charles had studied. John Langston earned a bachelor's degree in 1849 and a master's degree in theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
in 1852 from Oberlin. Denied admission to law schools in New York and Ohio because of his race, Langston then studied law (or "read law", as was a practice then) under attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
congressman Philemon Bliss
Philemon Bliss
Philemon Bliss was an Ohio Congressman, the first chief justice of the Supreme Court of Dakota Territory, and a Missouri Supreme Court justice....
and was admitted to the Ohio bar in 1854.
Marriage and family
In 1854 Langston married Caroline Matilda Wall, who also graduated from Oberlin College. From North CarolinaNorth Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, she was the emancipated daughter of an enslaved mother and a wealthy white planter, Colonel Stephen Wall. Wall freed his mixed-race daughters Sara and Caroline, and sent them to Ohio to be raised in an affluent Quaker household. Wall provided financial support that included funds for his daughters' full education. An intellectual partner of Langston, Caroline had five children with him, one of whom died in childhood.
Career
Together with his older brothers Gideon and Charles, John Langston became active in the Abolitionist movement. He helped runaway slaves to escape to the North along the Ohio part of the Underground RailroadUnderground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
. In 1858 he and Charles partnered in leading the Ohio Anti-Slavery Society, with John acting as president and traveling to organize local units, and Charles' managing as executive secretary in Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
.
In 1863 when the government approved founding of the United States Colored Troops
United States Colored Troops
The United States Colored Troops were regiments of the United States Army during the American Civil War that were composed of African American soldiers. First recruited in 1863, by the end of the Civil War, the men of the 175 regiments of the USCT constituted approximately one-tenth of the Union...
, Langston was appointed to recruit African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
s to fight for the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
. He enlisted hundreds of men for duty in the Massachusetts Fifty-fourth and Fifty-fifth regiments, in addition to 800 for Ohio’s first black regiment. After the war, he was appointed inspector general for the Freedmen's Bureau, a Federal organization that assisted freed slaves and tried to oversee labor contracts; it also ran a bank and helped establish schools for freedmen and their children.
Even before the end of the war, Langston worked for issues of black suffrage and opportunity. He believed that black men's service had earned their right to vote, and that it was fundamental to their creating an equal place in society. In 1864 Langston chaired the committee whose agenda was ratified by the black national convention: they called for abolition of slavery, support of racial unity and self-help, and equality before the law. To accomplish this program, the convention founded the National Equal Rights League
National Equal Rights League
The National Equal Rights League is the oldest nationwide human rights organization dedicated to the liberation of black people in the United States...
and elected Langston president. He served until 1868. Like the later National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is an African-American civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909. Its mission is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to...
(NAACP), the League was based in state and local organizations. Langston traveled widely to build support. "By war's end, nine state auxiliaries had been established; some twenty months later, Langston could boast of state leagues nearly everywhere."
In 1868 Langston moved to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to establish and serve as dean of Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
's law school; it was the first black law school in the country. Appointed acting president of the school in 1872, and vice president of the school, Langston worked to establish strong academic standards. He also hoped to create the kind of open environment he had known at Oberlin College. Langston was passed over for the permanent position of president of Howard University School of Law
Howard University School of Law
Howard University School of Law is one of the professional graduate schools of Howard University. Located in Washington, D.C., it is one the oldest law schools in the country and the oldest historically black college or university law school in the United States...
by a committee that refused to disclose the reason.
President Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
appointed Langston a member of the Board of Health of the District of Columbia. In 1877 President Hayes appointed Langston as U.S. Minister to Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
; he also served as chargé d'affaires
Chargé d'affaires
In diplomacy, chargé d’affaires , often shortened to simply chargé, is the title of two classes of diplomatic agents who head a diplomatic mission, either on a temporary basis or when no more senior diplomat has been accredited.-Chargés d’affaires:Chargés d’affaires , who were...
to the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
.
In 1885 Langston returned to the US and Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, where he was named the first president of Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute
Virginia State University
Virginia State University is a historically black and land-grant university located north of the Appomattox River in Chesterfield, in the Richmond area. Founded on , Virginia State was the United States's first fully state-supported four-year institution of higher learning for black Americans...
, a historically black college (HBCU) at Petersburg
Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
. There he also began to build a political base. In 1888, Langston was urged to run for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives by fellow Republicans
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, both black and white. Leaders of the biracial Readjuster Party
Readjuster Party
The Readjuster Party was a political coalition formed in Virginia in the late 1870s during the turbulent period following the American Civil War. Readjusters aspired "to break the power of wealth and established privilege" and to promote public education, a program which attracted biracial support....
, which had held political power in Virginia from 1879–1883, did not support his candidacy. Langston ran as a Republican and lost to his Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
opponent. He contested the results of the election because of voter intimidation and fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
.
After 18 months Langston was declared the winner and took his seat in the US Congress. He served for the remaining six months of the term, and then lost his bid for reelection, as Democrats regained control of Virginia. Langston was the first black person elected to Congress from Virginia, and he was the only one for another century.
Langston was named as a member of the board of trustees of St Paul Normal and Industrial School
Saint Paul's College, Virginia
Saint Paul's College is a private, historically black college located in Lawrenceville, Virginia. The college is a four-year, private, co-ed, liberal arts institute affiliated with the Episcopal Church.-Campus:...
in the incorporation papers passed by an act of the Virginia General Assembly on March 4, 1890.
Legacy and honors
- His houseJohn Mercer Langston HouseThe John Mercer Langston House is a National Historic Landmark in Oberlin, Ohio. It was home to John Mercer Langston, abolitionist and US Congressman, who was one of the first African-Americans elected to public office in the United States.-External links:...
in Oberlin was designated a National Historic LandmarkNational Historic LandmarkA National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
.
- Oklahoma's Langston UniversityLangston UniversityLangston University is an institution of higher learning located in Langston, Oklahoma, USA. It is the only historically black college in the state, and the westernmost historically black college in the United States...
is named in his honor, as are - John Mercer Langston Bar Association in Columbus, OhioColumbus, OhioColumbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
; - Langston Hall at Oberlin College and Langston Middle School in Oberlin, Ohio;
- Langston Hall at Virginia State University in Petersburg, Virginia;
- the former John Mercer Langston High School in Danville, VirginiaDanville, VirginiaDanville is an independent city in Virginia, United States, bounded by Pittsylvania County, Virginia and Caswell County, North Carolina. It was the last capital of the Confederate States of America. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Danville with Pittsylvania county for...
; and - John M. Langston High School Continuation Program in Arlington, Virginia;
- Langston Jr. Sr. High School in Hot Springs, ArkansasHot Springs, ArkansasHot Springs is the 10th most populous city in the U.S. state of Arkansas, the county seat of Garland County, and the principal city of the Hot Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area encompassing all of Garland County...
, which is now - Langston Aerospace Environmental Magnet Elementary School;
- PS 185 John M. Langston in New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
; and - Langston Golf CourseLangston Golf CourseLangston Golf Course is an 18-hole golf course in Washington, D.C., established in 1939. It was named for John Mercer Langston, an African American who was the first dean of the Howard University School of Law, the first president of Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute , and the first African...
in Washington, DC.
Langston was the great-uncle of poet James Mercer Langston Hughes (called Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes
James Mercer Langston Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist. He was one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form jazz poetry. Hughes is best known for his work during the Harlem Renaissance...
).
Publications
- Langston, John Mercer. Freedom and Citizenship: Selected Lectures of Hon. John Mercer Langston. Washington D.C.: William H.Darby Publishers 1883; Whitefish, MT: Kessinger Publishing Company, 2007.
External links
- "John Mercer Langston", Congressional Biography
- Black Americans in Congress, 1870-2007
- "John Mercer Langston", Oberlin College biography
- John Mercer Langston Speeches, Oberlin College speech collection
- Kevin Merida, "The 'Obama Before Obama', Washington Post, June 7, 2008
- "Biography of John Mercer Langston" including youthful photograph, AfricanAmericans.com
- Langston High School Continuation Program in Arlington, Virginia