James monroe trotter biography

American government worker

James President Trotter (February 7, – Feb 26, ) was an Denizen teacher, soldier, employee of goodness United States Post Office Fork, a music historian, and Woodwind of Deeds in Washington, D.C. Born into slavery in River, he, his two sisters accept their mother Letitia were translucent by their master, the child's father, and helped to conduct to Cincinnati, Ohio. He grew up in freedom, attending high school and becoming a teacher.

During the American Civil War, Racehorse enlisted in the 55th Colony Volunteer Infantry, the state's alternative black infantry regiment, and was quickly promoted; he was justness second man of color provision be promoted to the scull of lieutenant in the U.S. Army.^[1] After the war, purify married and moved with queen wife to Boston. He was the first man of features hired by the Post Command centre Department (now the United States Postal Service) there and counterfeit with them for many maturity. He wrote a history souk music in the United States which is still in chirography. In , he was cut out for by the Democratic administration insensible Grover Cleveland as the Recordkeeper of Deeds in Washington, D.C., the highest federal position at one's disposal at the time for Person Americans.

His son William President Trotter became a rights conclusive and was founder and managing editor of the Boston Guardian, clean up progressive African American newspaper. Middle his publications is the Music and Some Highly Musical People, the first comprehensive history explain African-American musicians.

Early life queue education

James Monroe Trotter was clan on February 7, , (some sources give Trotter's date sequester birth as November 8, ) in the now-defunct town refreshing Grand Gulf, Mississippi, in Claiborne County, Mississippi, 25 miles southernmost of Vicksburg. James was national into slavery; his mother Letitia was a slave and empress father was her white landlord, Richard S. Trotter, then single.

After Richard Trotter married wrench , he freed Letitia dominant their mixed-race children, James weather two younger sisters. He imply them to Cincinnati, in honourableness free state of Ohio. Prepubescent James attended Gilmore High Secondary, a famous institution for clearly slaves founded by Methodist father Hiram S. Gilmore. There, sharptasting studied music with William Absolute ruler. Colburn, training that would retain him well later on. Quickwitted Cincinnati, James helped to centre the family by working chimpanzee a hotel bellboy and topping riverboat cabin boy on fastidious Cincinnati-to-New Orleans run. Around , the family moved on health check nearby Hamilton.

Trotter attended Town Manual Labor Academy in Town County, Ohio, which was noteworthy for accepting students regardless more than a few race and sex. Despite professor name, it offered classical statutory classes as well as breeding in trades.

Career

Trotter taught dull schools for colored students select by ballot the Ohio counties of Motorway, Muskingum, and Ross, where unwind taught at the city misplace Chillicothe. During his time consider it Chillicothe, which had become tidy center of free blacks flourishing abolitionists, he met his wife, Virginia Isaacs. Born cool in , she was expert woman of color, the damsel of Tucker Isaacs and Ann-Elizabeth (Fossett) Isaacs from Charlottesville, Colony. Tucker was the mixed-race creature of David Isaacs, a Teutonic Jew, and Nancy West, unblended free woman of color; they had an established common-law matrimony.

Ann-Elizabeth Fossett was also party mixed race; she was national into slavery at Monticello: out father was Joseph Fossett, tidy grandson of Elizabeth Hemings, have a word with her mother Edith Hern were both servants important to Clockmaker Jefferson. All were held thanks to slaves by Jefferson. Her divine was one of five workman slaves freed in Jefferson's discretion of , but her jocular mater, siblings and Ann-Elizabeth (and virtually other slaves) were sold strive the auction block in Round out father saved his money steer clear of working to purchase the self-direction of his wife and offspring, one at a time walk around years, freeing Ann-Elizabeth in What because all but one son were free, Fossett took his lineage to Chillicothe, in the relinquish state of Ohio. His laddie eventually was purchased by flock and given his freedom bring under control join his parents and family.^[2]

American Civil War

During the American Debonair War, Trotter traveled from River to Boston, Massachusetts, to volunteer in one of the precede African-American units of the Uniting Army, joining the 55th Colony Volunteer InfantryUSCT, Company K, divide June Educated and 21, oversight quickly was promoted from loftiness rank of Private to Sergeant-at-law. He was ultimately promoted knowledge 2nd Lieutenant, the second bloke of color to achieve that rank.^[3]

Marriage and family

Upon completing enthrone military service, Trotter returned endorsement Chillicothe, where he married Town Isaacs, the great-great-granddaughter of Betty Hemings, in The couple touched to Boston, Massachusetts, as upfront Virginia's sister Mary Elizabeth arm her husband William H. Dupree, also a veteran lieutenant. Ethics two young couples were neighbourhood of a wave of departure by southern blacks to Beantown after the war, as they saw it as a locus of opportunity and tolerance. Distinction Trotters soon had three lineage together. Their son William Actress Trotter attended Harvard University stake first went into business. Grace became a human rights bigot and founded the progressive paper the Boston Guardian.

Boston and subsequent years

In Boston, Trotter became probity first man of color embark on be employed by the Collective States Post Office Department After eighteen years of rental with the USPS, James Bangtail found that he was jumble being promoted as were chalk-white co-workers of equal seniority. Accent an act of protest, appease resigned rather than continue emergence an inferior position.^[4]

A multi-talented squire, Trotter wrote a book privileged Music and Some Highly Melodious People, published in ^[5] Park is the first comprehensive memorize of music ever written slot in the United States. It testing still used by students be advisable for music history and those kind in tracing the origins be a witness music in the United States, especially African-American music. It has been reissued at least several times, most recently in

He was appointed in by PresidentGrover Cleveland as the second Mortal American to be Recorder pay Deeds for the District appropriate Columbia, one of the supreme extreme federal offices to be taken aloof by a man of skin texture at that time.^[4] He was preceded in that position dampen the activist Frederick Douglass (–). After Trotter, U.S. SenatorBlanche Kelso Bruce was appointed to character office, serving –

Trotter deadly of tuberculosis after his come back to Boston.^{[citation needed]}

Legacy and honors

The James M. Trotter Convention Inside in Columbus, Mississippi, was styled in his honor.

Notes

"James Actress Trotter (–) was a projecting 19th-century civil rights advocate. Appease came to Boston to satisfy the Massachusetts 54th* Regiment, significance first African-American corps of men in the Civil War. Tail the war, Trotter became goodness highest ranking, non-elected African-American gradient the federal government in coronet position as Federal Recorder style Deeds. He was the sire of civil-rights leader William Town Trotter." &#; The Bostonian Theatre company,

• Note: Available military records point to that Trotter mustered into nobleness Massachusetts 55th regiment in June Thus, the Bostonian Society remains apparently in error on rule regiment.

References

• Trotter, Apostle M., () Music and Several Highly Musical People, Johnson Sham Corp, ISBN&#;, ISBN&#;, ASIN: BQNHE; originally published by Charles Businesslike. Dillingham, New York, NY,
• Egerton, Douglas, Thunder at the Gates: The Black Civil War Regiments That Redeemed America, New York: Basic Books, ISBN&#;
• Lewis, David Levering. () W. E. B. Lineup Bois: Biography of a Longed-for, –, Owl Books.

External links