Giles Cotton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Giles Cotton
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A photograph of Giles Cotton from c. 1870
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| Texas House of Representatives | |
| In office 1870–1873 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1814 |
| Died | c. 1873 |
Giles Cotton, also known as Silas Cotton, (died 1883 or 1884) was an important person in Texas history. He was a freed slave, a farmer, and a state lawmaker in Texas. He was part of a political group called the Radical Republicans. Giles Cotton served in the Texas House of Representatives during a time called the Reconstruction era, from 1870 to 1873. He was married and had seven children.
Contents
Life of Giles Cotton
Early Life and Freedom
Giles Cotton was born into slavery in South Carolina. His mother was a slave, and his father was a white plantation overseer. Giles Cotton never learned to read or write.
When he was born, his owner was probably Ethan Stroud. After Ethan Stroud died in 1847, Giles Cotton became the property of Ethan's son, Logan Shroud. While he was enslaved by Logan Shroud, Giles Cotton was allowed to own mules and a wagon. He worked as a teamster, which meant he drove wagons for Shroud.
After the American Civil War, Giles Cotton became a free man. He then moved to a town called Calvert, Texas.
Serving in Government
In 1869, people voted for Giles Cotton to be a lawmaker. He was elected to the Twelfth Texas Legislature in the Texas House of Representatives. He served in this important role from 1870 until 1873.
What Giles Cotton Believed In
His Political Group
Giles Cotton was a Radical Republican. This was a political group that wanted to make big changes after the Civil War. They worked to protect the rights of newly freed slaves.
Voting for Safety
In 1871, Giles Cotton voted for a law that would stop people from carrying weapons in public. This included things like pistols, knives, slingshots, and even sword-canes. At that time, Giles Cotton was one of only twelve Black lawmakers in the Texas House of Representatives.
Giles Cotton's Family
Before 1840, Giles Cotton married a woman named Miley. Later, on September 5, 1870, he married another woman named Rachel. In the same year, the U.S. census showed that Giles and Rachel had seven children living with them. Because he had so many children, people said he was "the father of all the Cottons" in Limestone and Robertson counties.
See also
