Charles H. Pearce

Charles H. Pearce (1817-1887) was an African-American political and religious elder in Florida from 1865 until his death. He helped bring the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church to Florida and worked to build its congregation during and after the Reconstruction Era. He also built political power through the expanding congregation, held several offices, was influential in his support (and in some cases opposition to others seeking office or in office), and established educational institutions and won state support of the education for all Floridians. He was a prominent black officeholder in the post-Civil War era, a time when threats, the KKK, and animosity to freed blacks was high. Pearce stated that, "A man in this State, cannot do his whole duty as a minister except he looks out for the political interests of his people." In an act of political payback, he was disqualified as an elector on the Hayes and Wheeler ticket after a felony conviction for offering a bribe. There were other efforts to dispute and prevent the seating of black electors. Pearce had rivals within the AME church and among the leaders of the Baptist Church in Florida. Among his work to establish schools for African-Americans, Pearce helped establish the predecessor to what became Edward Waters College.

Pearce was born enslaved in Queen Anne's County, Maryland in 1817. As a young man, he purchased his freedom and moved to New Haven, Connecticut, where he was ordained a minister in the AME Church. He later moved to Canada, where he was a preacher until 1865. In that year, he moved to Florida as a missionary. While in Florida, he was elected to the Florida constitutional convention of 1868, but was expelled by moderate Republicans because of his British citizenship. Nevertheless, he was elected to the Florida Senate in 168 and served in that body until 1870 and again from 1872-184. He was considered the political boss of Leon County during the Reconstruction Era.

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