Alexander H. Curtis
{{Short description|Alabama reconstruction era American politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name =
| image = Alexander H. Curtis (1829 - 1878).jpg
| birth_name =
| office = Alabama House of Representatives
| term_start = 1870
| term_end = 1872
| office1 = Alabama Senate
| term_start1 = 1872
| term_end1 = 1874
| birth_date = 1829
| birth_place = Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|mf=yes|1878|7|20|1829 ||}}
| death_place = Marion, Alabama, U.S.
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| party = Republican
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Alexander H. Curtis (1829 – July 20, 1878) was an American politician, he served as a state legislator in the Alabama House of Representatives and the Alabama Senate during the Reconstruction era.{{cite book |last1=Foner |first1=Eric |title=Freedom's Lawmakers: A Directory of Black Officeholders During Reconstruction |date=1 August 1996 |publisher=LSU Press |isbn=978-0-8071-2082-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oO62QgAACAAJ |access-date=22 April 2022 |language=en|page=56}}
Early life
Curtis was born 1829, a slave, in Raleigh, North Carolina on E. Haywood's plantation, then was taken to Alabama when ten years old in 1839.{{cite web |title=Alexander H. Curtis |url=http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/m-9593 |website=Encyclopedia of Alabama |access-date=22 April 2022 |language=en}} While young he worked as a servant and in a general store.
Life and non political career
As an adult he worked as a barber and in others trades in Marion, Alabama saving for his freedom. By 1859 he had saved enough to be able to purchase his own freedom at the price of $2,000 after-which he left Alabama and moved to New York.
After the Civil War he returned to Alabama and set up again as a barber head of a trade concern.
He continued until 1875 when he was considered "out of business" even though he had been rated as "honest and reliable" by credit assessors.
In 1867 he was one of nine former slaves, known as The Marion 9, that setup the Lincoln School of Marion.{{cite news |title=Heirs of A Rich Legacy |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/100249126/heirs-of-a-rich-legacy/ |access-date=22 April 2022 |work=The Montgomery Advertiser |date=4 February 2010 |pages=6}}{{Open access}}
He also was one of the founders of Selma University and was described as an active member of the Second Baptist Church in Marion.
Reconstruction era political career
Curtis represented Perry County, Alabama at the 1867 Constitutional Convention.
He represented Perry County in the Alabama House of Representatives from 1870 to 1872 and then the Alabama Senate from 1872 to 1874. He and other 1872 Alabama Senators were photographed on the capitol steps. The photograph is held by the Alabama Department of Archives and History.{{cite web | url=https://spotonalabama.com/al-blogs-entertainment/801582/archivesfive-1872-alabama-senate-reconstruction.html | title=Archives/Five: 1872 Alabama Senate Reconstruction Photograph (Video) | Alabama Blogs & Entertainment }} He was the only African-American lawmaker to preside over the Alabama Senate during this era.
File:Alabama 1875 Constitutional Convention.jpg
He was also one of the county commissioners in 1874 and was a delegate to the state constitutional convention in 1875.
He was accused along with Greene S. W. Lewis of being bigoted and attempting to rally the black majority to vote against the constitutional convention.{{cite news |title=For the constitutional convention (section) |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/100250703/for-the-constitutional-convention/ |access-date=22 April 2022 |work=The Weekly Advertiser |date=21 July 1875 |pages=3}}{{Open access}}
He was also a delegate to the 1876 Republican National Convention,{{cite news |title=The Delegates - A full list of members of the Republican National Convention |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/100251117/the-delegates-a-full-list-of-members/ |access-date=22 April 2022 |work=The Philadelphia Times |date=13 June 1876 |pages=2}}{{Open access}} and the 1878 Radical State Convention.{{cite news |title=Clipped From The Montgomery Advertiser |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/13993700/the-montgomery-advertiser/ |access-date=22 April 2022 |work=The Montgomery Advertiser |date=6 July 1878 |pages=2}}{{Open access}}
Death and legacy
He died Saturday July 20, 1878, after falling from his buggy while travelling the lower Marion road with his companion Nick Stephens.{{cite news |title=Curtis, AH death report |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/55405787/curtis-ah-death-report/ |access-date=22 April 2022 |work=The Autauga Citizen |date=25 July 1878 |pages=3}}{{Open access}}{{cite news |title=Curtis, AH death report 1878 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/55404962/curtis-ah-death-report-1878/ |access-date=22 April 2022 |work=The Weekly Advertiser |date=6 August 1878 |pages=1}}{{Open access}} He had been aspiring to run for Congress at the time of his death.{{cite news |title=Curtis AH death and aspirant |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/55405539/curtis-ah-death-and-aspirant/ |access-date=22 April 2022 |work=Huntsville Independent |date=1 August 1878 |pages=2}}{{Open access}}
Two of his sons became physicians, William P. Curtis of Saint Louis, Missouri, and James Webb Curtis of Chicago;{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M_gaAAAAYAAJ&dq=james+webb+curtis&pg=PA161 |title=A Historical, Biographical and Statistical Souvenir |date=1900 |publisher=Howard University Medical Department |pages=161 |chapter=James Webb Curtis |via=Google Books}} and his son Thomas Curtis was a dentist in Saint Louis.
See also
References
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Category:People from Raleigh, North Carolina
Category:Members of the Alabama House of Representatives
Category:Alabama state senators
Category:African-American state legislators in Alabama
Category:African-American politicians during the Reconstruction Era