Hanson Truman Hughes (c. 1840–?) was an American politician and state legislator in North Carolina. He represented Granville County, North Carolina in the North Carolina House of Representatives in 1876.[1][2] He was one of five African Americans serving in the North Carolina Senate in 1876 to 1877.[3] He also worked as a barber.[4][5]

Hanson Truman Hughes
North Carolina House of Representatives
North Carolina Senate
North Carolina justice of the peace
In office
April 1881 – ?
Personal details
Bornc. 1840
North Carolina, U.S.
DiedU.S.
Spouse(s)Delia Ann Reid (married, ?–1897; death)
Children7
OccupationPolitician, barber
NicknameH. T. Hughes

Early life

edit

Hanson Truman Hughes was born in North Carolina.[5] He may have been enslaved prior to the American Civil War ending.[4] Hanson lived in early life in Oxford, a town in Granville County, North Carolina; and in later life he lived in Charlotte, North Carolina.[6][7]

He had been married to Delia Ann (née Reid) (1841–1897), together they had 7 children.[8]

Career

edit

Starting around 1866, he worked as a barber.[4][9] He owned land and personal property of substantial value and became a leader within the African-American community.[4][10][11]

In the State v. Hanson T. Hughes et al., he was prosecuted alongside others in 1875, for leading a procession with horses in Oxford, North Carolina in celebration of the emancipation proclamation.[4][12][13]

Hanson served two terms in the North Carolina state assembly and one term in the North Carolina state senate.[10] He represented Granville County in the North Carolina House of Representatives, alongside William Crews.[14] In April 1881, Hughes was appointed as justice of the peace in Oxford Township.[15][16]

References

edit
  1. ^ A History of African Americans in North Carolina (1997) page 210
  2. ^ Woodson, Carter Godwin; Logan, Rayford Whittingham (1920). The Journal of Negro History. Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. p. 77.
  3. ^ "The North Carolina Historical Review". North Carolina Historical Commission. December 11, 1984 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ a b c d e Longley, Max (January 17, 2020). Quaker Carpetbagger: J. Williams Thorne, Underground Railroad Host Turned North Carolina Politician. McFarland. p. 90. ISBN 9781476637747 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ a b "Historical Papers". Trinity College Historical Society. December 11, 1938 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ Reid, George W. (December 11, 1974). "A Biography of George H. White, 1852-1918". Howard University – via Google Books.
  7. ^ "The Travellers". Oxford Public Ledger. 1895-10-04. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-01-14.
  8. ^ "Delia Hughes obituary - wife of Hanson T. Hughes - The Gazette (Raleigh, NC) 30, Oct 1897". The Gazette. 1897-10-30. p. 3. Retrieved 2023-01-14.
  9. ^ "Hanson T. Hughes Barber's Notice - Advertisement in The Daily Standard - 26, July 1866". The Daily Standard. 1866-07-26. p. 3. Retrieved 2023-01-14.
  10. ^ a b Kenzer, Robert C.; Kenzer, Professor Robert C. (December 11, 1997). Enterprising Southerners: Black Economic Success in North Carolina, 1865-1915. University of Virginia Press. p. 90. ISBN 9780813917337 – via Google Books.
  11. ^ "Notice From Oxford Public Ledger". Oxford Public Ledger. 1894-01-19. p. 4. Retrieved 2023-01-14.
  12. ^ "North Carolina Reports: Cases Argued and Determined in the Supreme Court of North Carolina". North Carolina Supreme Court. Nichols & Gorman. December 11, 1875. pp. 25–26 – via Google Books.
  13. ^ "State v. Hughes". vLex. Retrieved 2023-01-15.
  14. ^ Representatives, North Carolina General Assembly House of (December 11, 1875). "Journal of the House of Representatives of the General Assembly of the State of North Carolina". M.S. Littlefield – via Google Books.
  15. ^ "Hanson T. Hughes as Justice of Peace - 12 April 1881". The Torchlight (newspaper). 1881-04-12. p. 3. Retrieved 2023-01-14.
  16. ^ Senate, North Carolina General Assembly (December 11, 1883). "Journal" – via Google Books.