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]