James W. Mason

James W. Mason
Born 1841
Chicot County, Arkansas
Died 1875
Occupation Politician
Parent(s) Elisha Worthington

James W. Mason (1841–1875) was an African-American politician.

Early life

James W. Mason was born in 1841 in Chicot County, Arkansas.[1] His father, Elisha Worthington, was a Kentucky-born large landowner and the owner of the Sunnyside Plantation in Chicot County.[1] His mother was an African slave owned by his father.[1] As a result, he was a mulatto. He had a sister, Martha.[1]

He studied at Oberlin College in Ohio.[1] He also studied in France.[1]

Career

Mason was appointed as the postmaster of Sunnyside in 1867.[1][2] As a result, he was the first African-American postmaster in all of the United States.[1][2]

He served as a member of the Arkansas Senate from 1868 to 1869.[1]

He was appointed as Consul General to Liberia on March 29, 1870.[3] However, he failed to fill the position.[1]

He served in the Arkansas Senate a second time, from 1871 to 1872.[1] He then served as the Sheriff of Chicot County from 1872 to 1874.[1] In the summer of 1873, he was arrested under the suspicion of inciting a race war in the county.[1] However, the judge, Colonel John A. Williams, dismissed the trial.[1]

Personal life

He married Rachel, who was also a mulatto.[1] They had a daughter, Fannie.[1]

Death

He died in 1875.[1]

References


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