George H. White (1852–1918)
New Bern, Craven County, North Carolina
Marker Inscription
George H. White 1852 1918. Lawyer; member of N.C. legislature, 1881 & 1885. U.S. Congressman, 1897-1901. Born into slavery. Home stands 2 blocks N.
Erected by North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
The Story
Born into slavery in 1852, George H. White became a lawyer and served in the North Carolina legislature in 1881 and 1885 before winning election to the U.S. Congress, where he served from 1897 to 1901. He was the last African American to serve in Congress before the full weight of Jim Crow disenfranchisement took hold. His home still stands two blocks from this marker.
Why it matters
White's departure from Congress in 1901 opened a decades-long absence of Black representation, marking both the promise of Reconstruction and its violent reversal.
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Related people
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Themes & tags
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