John Willis Menard
John Willis Menard (1838-1893) was an influential African American political activist, journalist, and writer who made significant contributions during the Reconstruction era in the United States. Born in Kaskaskia, Illinois, to parents of French Creole descent, Menard grew up in a farming environment and attended an abolitionist school, which helped shape his commitment to civil rights. Following the Civil War, he moved to New Orleans to engage in the Reconstruction efforts, advocating for a more equitable government in the wake of slavery's abolition.
Menard's political journey culminated in 1868 when he became the first African American to receive a Republican nomination for Congress, representing Louisiana's Second Congressional District. Despite winning the election, a contested vote prevented him from taking his seat, highlighting the racial tensions of the time. Nonetheless, he became the first African American to address the House of Representatives, marking a milestone in U.S. history.
In addition to his political endeavors, Menard was a published poet and edited several newspapers, contributing to the discourse surrounding civil rights and African American identity. His legacy extends beyond politics to include significant ties to the Jamaican community, particularly through his marriage to a Jamaican woman and involvement in the Morant Bay rebellion. Menard's life exemplified the challenges and triumphs faced by African Americans during a transformative period in U.S. history.
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Subject Terms
John Willis Menard
Politician and activist
- Born: April 3, 1838
- Birthplace: Kaskaskia, Illinois
- Died: October 8, 1893
- Place of death: Washington, D. C.
Menard was the first African American man to be elected to Congress but was denied his seat. He also became the first African American to formally address the House of Representatives. Menard later served in the Florida House of Representatives and held several other government positions.
Early Life
John Willis Menard (meh-NAHRD) was born on April 3, 1838, in Kaskaskia, Illinois. He spent the first eighteen years of his life in the small town. Menard, whose parents were of French Creole descent, was not a slave. He spent his early years working on a farm and later attended an abolitionist school in Sparta. He never received a college degree, but he did attend Iberia College in Ohio for a time.
Menard’s brief education laid the foundation for him to become a political activist of sorts. In 1859, he gave a speech in Springfield—the state’s capital—in celebration of the end of slavery in the West Indies. His speech highlighted the ideals of liberty and equality that this decision embraced.
Menard continued his abolitionist work. In 1860, just a year after his speech in Springfield, he published a document addressing the free African Americans living in Illinois. After the Civil War began, Menard obtained a clerkship in Washington, D.C., at the U.S. Department of the Interior—the first such position offered to an African American.
Life’s Work
Menard’s activism led him to continue down a serious political path. When the war ended, he moved to New Orleans to take part in Reconstruction in the state. With slavery newly abolished, he wanted to rebuild the government to become more fair and equal. He also dabbled in journalism, editing the New Orleans newspaper Free South.
In 1868, Menard’s career reached its apex: He received the Republican nomination to represent Louisiana’s Second Congressional District. Although Menard defeated opponent Caleb Hunt in the election, Hunt challenged the result of the vote. As a result of the dispute, the House of Representatives decided not to let either man take the seat. Congressman James Garfield—who later would be elected president—argued that it was too soon to allow an African American to serve in Congress. Menard fought the decision. He was allowed to address the House from the lectern, the first time an African American had done so. However, he was not awarded his seat.
While Menard’s political aspirations had been stymied in Washington, D.C., he continued to pursue elected office at the state and local levels. In 1874, he began serving in the Florida House of Representatives. That year, he also was elected a justice of the peace in Duval County, Florida. He won a second term in 1877.
In addition to his work in the political arena, Menard was an accomplished writer. He wrote poetry, incorporating much of it in a book called Lays in Summer Lands in 1879. He also worked as an editor for The Florida News and The Southern Leader in the mid-1880’s. Menard died in Washington, D.C., in 1893.
Significance
Although Menard did not get to serve as the first African American member of the U.S. House of Representatives, his political career was nonetheless groundbreaking. He was the first African American to successfully run for Congress and to formally address the House. He went on to serve in the Florida House, demonstrating his merit as a lawmaker.
In addition to his political career, Menard also held special importance in the Jamaican community. He was married to a Jamaican woman and was viewed as an influential figure in the Morant Bay rebellion of African Americans in the country.
Bibliography
Beatty, Bess. “John Willis Menard: A Progressive Black in Post-Civil War Florida.” Florida Historical Quarterly 59, no. 2 (October, 1980): 123-143. Describes Menard’s influence on African American civil rights in the nineteenth century, with special attention to many of his political policies and tendencies.
Hutton, Clinton. “An African American in Jamaica in the Nineteenth Century: John Willis Menard in the Struggle for the Definition of Post-Slavery Society.” Jamaica Journal 31, no. 12 (June, 2008): 56-63. Detailed exploration of Menard’s influence on Jamaican society.
Menard, Edith. “John Willis Menard: First Negro Elected to the U.S. Congress; First Negro to Speak in the U.S. Congress.” Negro History Bulletin 28 (December, 1964): 53-54. A short history of Menard’s political career that focuses on his fight to serve as a member of Congress.