Middle Georgia produces the nation’s first black governor

Editor’s note: The following story is part of a feature called Home Grown in which we take a look at the people and products that have made a name for themselves well beyond our Middle Georgia borders.

Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchback, born in 1837 near Macon, was the first black governor to serve in the United States. The son of a freed slave and a wealthy white planter, Pinchback was active in Republican politics in Louisiana, according to the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office’s historical records.

A lawyer by trade, he was a member of the Louisiana State Senate and was president of the senate when the lieutenant governor died in 1871. He then assumed that role, according to the National Governors Association.

When Gov. Henry C. Warmoth was impeached and removed from office Dec. 8, 1872, Pinchback took office and served as governor for 36 days. He later was elected to Congress but was denied a seat, according to the association.

After leaving political office, Pinchback was involved in the founding of Southern University in Louisiana, worked as a federal marshal in New York and practiced law in Washington, D.C. He died in 1921.

This story was originally published November 15, 2016 at 12:29 PM with the headline "Middle Georgia produces the nation’s first black governor."