Matthew Gaines
Matthew Gaines | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Member of the Texas Senate from the 16th district | |
In office 1870–1873 | |
Preceded by | Abraham Morris Gentry |
Succeeded by | Seth Shepard |
Personal details | |
Born | August 4, 1840 Alexandria, Louisiana, U.S. |
Died | June 11, 1900 Giddings, Texas, U.S. | (aged 59)
Political party | Republican |
Matthew Gaines (August 4, 1840 – June 11, 1900) was a former slave, community leader, minister, and Republican Texas state senator. He made valuable contributions towards the establishment of free public education in the state of Texas.[1]
Early life
Matthew Gaines was born on August 4, 1840, near Alexandria, Louisiana[2] to a female slave owned by the Martin Despallier family. Gaines taught himself to read from a white boy who smuggled in books. This boy may have been young Blaz Philipe Despallier, who lived on the estate and who would later become the sole heir of Alamo hero Charles Despallier, his uncle. After being sold from the Despallier family, Gaines escaped from his new owner in Louisiana to Arkansas, and eventually made it to New Orleans, where he was captured and returned to his master. In 1859, Gaines was sold to Christopher Columbus Hearne, where he remained until 1863 when he tried to flee to Mexico. He was caught again and was forced to work as a runaway slave in Fredericksburg, Texas until the end of the civil war.
Career
After the
In 1869, Gaines was elected as a Senator of
In 1870, Gaines played a strategic role in passing the
Death and legacy
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/13/Matthew_Gaines.jpg/220px-Matthew_Gaines.jpg)
Gaines died in Giddings, Texas, on June 11, 1900.
In 1998, activists on the campus of Texas A&M University suggested Gaines should have his statue displayed prominently. The project was abandoned in the wake of the Aggie Bonfire tragedy in 1999.[5] However, 19 years later, Texas A&M students and other supporters pushed yet again for the establishment of a statue of Matthew Gaines on the Texas A&M College Station campus. On June 19 of 2020, the donation goal of the “Matthew Gaines Initiative” was surpassed. A statue of Gaines was unveiled and dedicated on November 19, 2021.
In 2016,
See also
References
- ^ William Richard Jones. "Prominent African Americans: Past & Present". Archived from the original on May 28, 2007. Retrieved June 1, 2007.
- ^ Merline Pitre. "GAINES, MATTHEW". Retrieved June 1, 2007.
- ^ a b "The 1870s: Matthew Gaines". Retrieved October 13, 2020.
- ^ "Forever Free: The Biographies - Page 4". Retrieved October 13, 2020.
- JSTOR 20715415.
- ^ "Matthew Gaines - Bartley for Congress". Archived from the original on February 9, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2016.