Robert B. Hawley
| Robert B. Hawley | |
|---|---|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 10th district | |
|
In office March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1901 |
|
| Preceded by | Miles Crowley |
| Succeeded by | George Burgess |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
October 25, 1849 Memphis, Tennessee, USA |
| Died | November 28, 1921 (aged 72) New York City, New York, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican |
| Residence | Galveston, Texas |
| Alma mater | Christian Brothers College |
| Occupation | Merchant |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Robert Bradley Hawley (October 25, 1849 – November 28, 1921) was a businessman and politician from Galveston, Texas, elected as a Republican U.S. Representative (1897-1901) from Texas's 10th congressional district. He won his office in 1896 and 1898 with a plurality, as white voters split between Democratic and Populist party candidates.
Determined not to lose another congressional election or compete with the Populists and Republicans on split tickets, the Democrat-dominated state legislature passed a poll tax in 1901, which had the effect of disfranchising most blacks and many minority and poor white voters. This ended competition in the state from the Republican and Populist parties. From 1890 to 1910 all states of the former Confederacy passed measures to disfranchise blacks and exclude them from the political process.
Born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1849, Hawley attended Catholic parochial schools and the Christian Brothers College there. After his father died when he was young, Hawley took on the duties of caring for his mother and siblings while still in his teens.
Hawley moved to Galveston, Texas, in 1875 at the age of 21. He became a merchant, importer, and manufacturer in that bustling port city for the next twenty years. He was elected to serve as president of the Galveston Board of Education from 1889 to 1893.
Hawley became active in Republican Party politics in the waning years of the Reconstruction era, at a time when Texas was almost completely dominated by the Democratic Party. The Galveston area was a center of an urbanized population, including many German immigrants and African-American freedmen. Both of these latter two groups favored the Republican Party. On September 4, 1890 Hawley was elected as the temporary chairman of the Republican State convention in San Antonio. He served as a delegate to several Republican National conventions.
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