Franklin Sinclair facts for kids
Franklin Sinclair (died April 16, 1868) was an important African American teacher and political leader. He lived in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana. He was killed just before an election where he was running for a seat in the Louisiana House of Representatives. If he had won, he would have been one of the first Black members of that group.
Franklin Sinclair's Journey to Politics
Sinclair, sometimes called Franklin St. Clair, was from Massachusetts. He went to Oberlin College. After the American Civil War, many educated African Americans like him moved south. They wanted to help people who had been enslaved. Sinclair opened a school in Ouachita Parish. He became the only teacher for African American children there.
In 1867, he was chosen as an election commissioner in Ouachita Parish. This meant he helped manage elections. In March 1868, the Republican party first nominated him for county coroner. But soon after, they nominated him for a seat in the state legislature instead.
Running for the State Legislature
The election was set for April 17 and 18, 1868. Sinclair was expected to win easily. This was because more than two-thirds of the people in Ouachita Parish were African American. In the days before the election, Sinclair campaigned with other Republican candidates. Both white and African American candidates joined him.
At one rally, he said, "I am for the rights of all without hurting anyone's rights." He also explained that the Republican party was working hard to bring the state back into the United States. He believed every loyal citizen should support this party.
His Tragic Death and What Happened Next
On the morning of April 16, 1868, Sinclair was riding his horse. He was coming back to Ouachita after a rally. He was on a road near Linn Grove, close to the town of Bonita. A white plantation owner named James Payne shot and killed him. Payne had been working to help Sinclair's opponent, a Democrat.
The Monroe Intelligencer newspaper wrote about Sinclair after his death. They called him "one of the best-educated colored men in the community." They also said he had "excellent qualities" and was a friend to both white and Black people.
Local Democrats held a very unfair "trial" for Payne. They quickly said he was not guilty. They even called Sinclair a "riotous negro." But a U.S. Marshal later arrested Payne. He was charged with murder. Federal officials said that former Confederates controlled Ouachita Parish. They used "intimidation, fear, and dread." This made it impossible to get justice for crimes against Black and Union people.
Payne admitted he killed Sinclair. But he claimed he acted in self-defense. A witness later said that Sinclair had received many threats in Monroe. Payne was released on a $3,000 bond. After that, he disappeared. A witness later told a group in Congress that no one seemed to try to find him.
O. H. Brewster, a former Union soldier, took Sinclair's place as the Republican candidate. He later spoke to a Congressional committee. Brewster said that many white people who knew Sinclair respected him. They were sad about his murder. He said the only "offense" Southerners found Sinclair guilty of was teaching school to Black people.
Brewster won the election. He later became the speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives.
