George W. Barber (c. 1831–1870s) was an American carpenter, farmer and state legislator who served in the South Carolina State Senate during the Reconstruction era from 1868 until 1872.[1]
Biography
Barber was born enslaved in South Carolina in 1831.[1] He has been listed as a farmer[1] and a carpenter.[2]
He was elected to the South Carolina State Senate in 1868 and served until 1872 representing Fairfield County as a Republican.[3][1] He lost the nomination to run again for the senate in September 1872 with Sanders Ford standing in his place, he instead was put on the ticket to run for representative.[4]
He was also the commissioner of elections in 1870 for Fairfield along with N. G. Dunlap and Samuel Simpson.[5] The same year he was listed in the census as owning real estate worth $600 with an additional $150 worth of personal property.[1]
Barber was threatened by the Ku Klux Klan in May 1871 when they posted in the paper demands that he along with seven others resign from office.[6] This caused him to temporarily leave his home in fear and move to Columbia, South Carolina before later returning.[1]
He was a delegate at the Radical State Convention in August 1872, representing Fairfield County along with L.W. Duvall and T. J. Minton.[7]
He continued in politics for a while and in August 1874 he was chair of a republican meeting in Winnsboro[8] and again chair in August 1875 for a meeting on the next election.[9] However by October 20, 1875 he had become "disgusted" with politics and returned to carpentry.[10]
His wife was listed in the 1880 United States census as being a widow, so he died sometime between October 1875 and June 1880.[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Foner, Eric (1 August 1996). Freedom's Lawmakers: A Directory of Black Officeholders During Reconstruction. LSU Press. p. 12. ISBN 978-0-8071-2082-8. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
- ^ "Senatorial Occupations and Professions". The Charleston Daily News. 21 December 1869. p. 3. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
- ^ "The State Capital". The Charleston Daily News. 26 November 1868. p. 1. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
- ^ "Representatives on the Judge Green ticket". The Charleston Daily Courier. 28 September 1872. p. 1. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
- ^ "Proclamation for the elections". The Daily Phoenix. 20 August 1870. p. 2. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
- ^ "KKK - General Orders, No 105". The Daily Phoenix. 2 May 1871. p. 2. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
- ^ "Trouble in the Wigwam - The Radical Convention Refuses to Hear Senator Sawyer". The Charleston Daily News. 22 August 1872. p. 1. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
- ^ "Senator White in Winnsboro". Yorkville Enquirer. 20 August 1874. p. 2. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
- ^ "Meeting on the coming election". The Fairfield Herald. 11 August 1875. p. 3. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
- ^ "G. W. Barber leaves politics - Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
External links
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