John Wesley Cromwell
| John Wesley Cromwell | |
|---|---|
John Wesley Cromwell from 1887 publication
|
|
| Born |
September 5, 1846 Portsmouth, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | April 14, 1927 (aged 80) Washington, DC, U.S. |
| Occupation | teacher, lawyer, civil servant, journalist, historian, civil rights activist |
| Spouse(s) | Lucy A. McGuinn, Annie E. Conn |
John Wesley Cromwell (September 5, 1846 - April 14, 1927) was a lawyer, teacher, civil servant, journalist, historian, and civil rights activist in Washington, DC. He was among the founders of the Bethel Literary and Historical Society and the American Negro Academy, both based in the capital. He worked for decades in administration of the US Post Office.
He also was a founder, editor, or contributor to a number of newspapers and journals, including most prominently the People's Advocate. In the later half of his career, he wrote a number of articles and manuscripts and gave a number of speeches which established him as a leading scholar of African-American history. In 1887, he was described as the "best English scholar in the United States." Cromwell was also successful as a lawyer late in life and was the first black lawyer to appear before the Interstate Commerce Commission.
John Wesley Cromwell was born into slavery on September 5, 1846 in Portsmouth, Virginia. He was the youngest of twelve children. His parents were Willis H. and Elizabeth (Carney) Cromwell. Cromwell's father worked as a ferryman on the Elizabeth River and was allowed to keep some of his wages. One brother, Levi, later became well known as a caterer in Washington, DC.
In 1851, their father purchased freedom for his family, and they moved to Philadelphia in the free state of Pennsylvania. John attended school there from 1851 to 1856. He moved to a teaching school, the Preparatory Department of the Institute for Colored Youth, where Ebenezer Bassett was the principal. Cromwell graduated in the summer of 1864.
He moved to Columbia, Pennsylvania that fall in October 1864 to begin his career as a teacher. When the school in Columbia closed, Cromwell returned to Portsmouth, Virginia in April 1865 in the closing days of the American Civil War, starting a private school where he worked until the fall.
By the end of 1865 Cromwell returned to Philadelphia; he taught at the Baltimore Association for the Moral and Intellectual Improvement of the Colored People. In March 1866, the school was attacked and burned to the ground and Cromwell was shot at. He continued to work for the organization until May. That month he returned to Virginia, working for the American Missionary Association at Providence Church in Norfolk County, Virginia. It was establishing schools across the South. At this time, he became more active in politics. He also briefly worked in the grocery business.
...
Wikipedia