Pinckney Pinchback: A Courageous

African-American

Pinckney Pinchback. Digital

image. Wikimedia Commons. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2016.

By Rekale Fomby

Authors Note
I am an 8th grade student at Citizens Leadership Academy. I chose to tell the story about
Pinckney Pinchback being the first to do something most people, mostly Africans-Americans,
couldn't do.
This book was written to educate kids on people like Pinckney Pinchback and what they did
during the Reconstruction Era. The Reconstruction Era was a time after the Civil War and
slavery ended where the people in the southern states of America tried to fix some of the
issues in their society, such as, politics and civil rights.
Pinckney Pinchback is an important person to know from Reconstruction because he
achieved something that African-Americans couldnt do. African-Americans did not have right
to be in politics, but there were people like Pinchback who made courageous decisions such
as running for office as an African-American.
This story is about how being the first to do something can inspire many others to follow in
your footsteps.

In the town of Macon, Georgia, a boy named Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchback was born. His father was
a Virginia farmer and his mother was a freed slave. After him and his brother, Napoleon, were sent to Ohio,
they went to Cincinnatis Gilmore School because their mother wanted them to get a formal education, but it
was eventually cut short because their father became terribly ill.

Macon, Georgia. Digital image. Macon, Georgia. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2016.

At the age of 12, he got a job as a cabin boy to help his family through tough times. A cabin boy is a
boy
employed to wait on a ship's officers or passengers. He also worked as a ship steward on the Mississippi
River steamboats. A steward is someone who looks after the citizens and brings them their meals.

Ship stewards. Digital image. Wikimedia Commons. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2016.

At 23, he married a 16 year old girl named Nina Hawthorne who was from Memphis, Tennessee. They had 4
children.

Four African-American kids. Digital image. Flickr. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2016.

After the Civil War ended, he moved to New Orleans and entered into national politics as a republican. The
Civil War was a war between the north and south that was fought to end slavery.

Canal St. in New Orleans. Digital image. Wikimedia Commons. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2016.

He got a position in office but it was taken because of racial discrimination. Racial discrimination is when
people show hatred to a race in a disrespectful manner.

Blacks Protesting Against Segregated Schools. Digital image. Wikimedia Commons. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2016.

He worked as governor for 36 days from Dec.9, 1872 to Jan.13, 1873 while Henry C. Warmoth was going
through impeachment procedures. The impeachment process is the process presidents go through if they
are voted out of office. This made Pinchback the 1st African-American to serve as a U.S. state senate.

Henry C. Warmoth. Digital image. Wikimedia Commons. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2016.

After politics, he worked as a federal marshal. A federal marshal is a person in the department of justice who
enforces laws.

Federal Marshal Badge. Digital image. Wikimedia Commons. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2016.

At 50, he relocated his family moved to NYC. During this time, he entered himself in Straight College, and
studied law. Straight College was established in 1868. He graduated Straight College in 1889. He then
moved to Washington, D.C. and continued in politics until he died on December 21, 1921.

Laundry at Straight University. Digital image. Wikimedia Commons. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2016.

Bibliography
Biography.com. "Pinckney Pinchback Biography." Bio.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2016.
Tolly, Victor. "Pinchback, Pinckney Benton Stewart (1837-1921)." BlackPast.org:Remembered and Reclaimed. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2016.