John E. Proctor
Member of the Florida Senate
from the 8th district
In office
1883–1885
Member of the Florida House of Representatives
from the Leon County district
In office
1873–1875
1879–1881
Personal details
Born(1844-01-14)January 14, 1844
DiedDecember 14, 1944(1944-12-14) (aged 100)
Political partyRepublican

John Elijah Proctor[1] (January 14, 1844 – December 14, 1944) was an American politician in the state of Florida. A former slave, he served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1873 to 1875, and 1879 to 1881, and in the Florida Senate from 1883 to 1885.[2] Though he was born free, he was sold as a slave at a young age to family friends to pay off debts that his father had incurred purchasing an enslaved woman who became his wife.[3][4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Florida's Only Former Negro Senator, John Elijah Proctor, Aged 96, Of Tallahassee, Has Keen". Tallahassee Democrat. 1940-02-12. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
  2. ↑ Ward, Robert L. / Florida House of Representatives (2011). "Membership of the Florida House of Representatives by County, 1845-2012" (PDF). Retrieved December 11, 2011.
  3. ↑ "John Proctor, Slave Who Became Legislator, Dies Here at 100". Tallahassee Democrat. Tallahassee, Florida. December 17, 1944. p. 22. Retrieved February 1, 2019. Free access icon
  4. ↑ "Tallahassee Hidden History dedicates marker, hosts exhibit at Garden Club". Tallahassee Democrat. Retrieved 2023-11-22.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.