John Rock (abolitionist)
John Rock | |
|---|---|
Boston, Massachusetts, US | |
| Other names | John Sweatt Rock[4] |
| Occupation(s) | teacher, doctor, dentist, lawyer, and abolitionist |
John Stewart Rock (October 13, 1825 – December 3, 1866) was an American teacher, doctor, dentist, lawyer and abolitionist, historically associated with the coining of the term "
Early life and education
John Stewart Rock was born to John and Maria (Willett) Rock, free African-American parents, on October 13, 1825, in Salem, New Jersey.[7] In Rock's formative years, it was relatively uncommon for white children to complete grammar school, and significantly rarer for black children. Rock's parents, however, encouraged their diligent son in his studies and, despite having little financial resources, provided for him to follow through with formal schooling. By the age of 19, Rock had received the necessary amount of education to take up a position as a teacher. He started out in 1844 in a one-room school in Salem, where he would continue to work for the next four years, garnering the attention and approval of veteran schoolteachers. Rock had an impressive work ethic, consistently holding class for six hours, conducting private tutoring sessions for two hours, and studying medicine under two white physicians, Dr. Shaw and Dr. Gibson,[8] who allowed him to study their textbooks and use their personal book collections for eight hours daily.[4] Medical students at the time commonly undertook apprenticeships with practicing doctors, as Rock did, as a means of gaining medical training. In 1848, Rock applied to medical school, but faced rejection on the basis of his race.[9]
John Rock then decided to transfer into the field of dentistry and, after an 1849 apprenticeship with Dr. Harbert, a white dentist, opened a dental practice in Philadelphia in January 1850. Just one year later, he was rewarded with a silver medal for his expert work on a set of silver dentures that he crafted and later displayed.[4] After finally gaining admittance to medical school, Rock graduated from American Medical College in Philadelphia in 1852, becoming one of the first African Americans to attain a degree in medicine.[4] At the age of 27, he had established himself as a talented and well-respected teacher, dentist, and physician.
In 1853, Rock decided to change locations to
Abolitionist
Rock, a passionate
Lawyer
Troubled by health-related problems, Rock applied for a
On February 1, 1865, the day after Congress approved the Thirteenth Amendment ending slavery, Charles Sumner introduced a motion that made Rock the first black attorney to be admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States.[15] Rock became the first black person to be received on the floor of the United States House of Representatives.[8] The day was cause for much celebration.
Death
On April 9, 1866, the Civil Rights Act of 1866 was passed which enforced the 13th Amendment. Rock enjoyed this honor for less than a year. He became ill with the common cold that weakened his already failing health, and limited his ability to commute efficiently. On December 3, 1866, John S. Rock died in his mother's home in Boston of tuberculosis at the age of 41. He was laid to rest in Everett's Woodlawn Cemetery, and was buried with full Masonic honors.[4][8] His admittance into the Supreme Court is recorded on his tombstone.[4] He never had an opportunity to argue a case before the Supreme Court.[16]
References
- ISBN 9781611685633.
- ISBN 9781317454168.
- ISBN 0-253-20793-2.
- ^ PMID 778394.
- ^ JSTOR 2716735.
- ^ Cottman, George Streiby; Coleman, Christopher Bush; Esarey, Logan (1915). "Indiana Magazine of History".
- ^ "Rock, John S. (1825-1866)". Blackpast. 19 March 2007. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
- ^ a b c "ABA Division for Public Education: Black History Month 2001, Profile 1: John Rock". American Bar Association. 2001. Archived from the original on 12 Feb 2009. Retrieved 15 Nov 2010.
- ^ Contee, Clarence G. (1975). The Supreme Court Bar's First Black Member. The Supreme Court Historical Society. Archived from the original on 20 November 2008. Retrieved 20 May 2008.
- ^ ISBN 9780393015133.
- ^ White, Deborah; Bay, Mia; Martin Jr., Waldo (2013). Freedom On My Mind (A History of African Americans). p. 348.
- ^ Rock, John S. (1858-03-12). "Speech at Faneuil Hall" (PDF). Black Abolitionist Archives, Doc. No. 19571. University of Detroit Mercy. p. 6. Retrieved 2016-02-16.
- ^ Garraty, John A.; Sternstein, Jerome A., eds. (1996). Encyclopedia of American Biography, 2nd Edition. Harper Collins.
- ^ "John Rock". Northwestern California University School of Law. 2011. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
- ^ Brooks, Christopher (2023). "Senator Charles Sumner and the Admission of John S. Rock to the Supreme Court Bar", Journal of Supreme Court History, vol. 48, no. 2, pp. 139-147.
- ^ Brooks, Christopher, "Senator Charles Sumner and the Admission of John S. Rock to the Supreme Court Bar", Journal of Supreme Court History, vol. 48, no. 2, 2023, p. 145
External links
- Brooks, Christopher, "Senator Charles Sumner and the Admission of John S. Rock to the Supreme Court Bar"
- John Stewart Rock—A Trailblazed Life. A lecture by Christopher Brooks
- Speeches by John Rock Archived 2017-05-10 at the Wayback Machine at University of Detroit Mercy - Black Abolitionist Archive
- John S. Rock - Civil War Trust
- Before the 14th: John Rock and the birth of birthright citizenship - Institute for Justice Podcast on John Rock and the 14th Amendment
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