kids encyclopedia robot

J. Vance Lewis facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Joseph Vance Lewis (born around December 25, 1853, or later – died April 24, 1925) was an amazing person who started life as a slave. After he was freed, he worked hard to become a lawyer. He even achieved the high honor of being allowed to argue cases in the Supreme Court of the United States. Lewis wrote a book about his life called Out of the Ditch. A True Story of an Ex-Slave. He wrote it to inspire young people and show how someone could overcome big challenges. He wanted his story to help others avoid difficulties and pursue their dreams.

J Vance Lewis
J. Vance Lewis, 1910

Life as a Slave

Joseph Vance Lewis was born on Christmas Day. He believed he was born around 1853, but records suggest it might have been later, around 1863. His parents, Doc and Rosa Lewis, were also slaves. They lived on a large farm in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, near a town called Houma. This farm belonged to Colonel Duncan Stewart Cage, Sr.

Lewis knew no other life than being a slave. When he was about ten years old, a very important event happened. The Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 was issued. This document declared that many enslaved people were free.

When freedom came, there was much excitement. But Lewis felt sad at first. He didn't see himself as being freed. Instead, he felt like he was being forced away from the only home he had ever known.

The farm had many enslaved people, perhaps hundreds. After the Emancipation Proclamation, Colonel Cage offered them a choice. He said he was a "poor man" without them. About 200 former slaves chose to stay. They continued working on the farm, but now they were paid employees.

Soon, an Irishman named Jimmie Welch was hired. He became the "overseer," managing the workers. Many workers did not like him. To try and gain their favor, Welch offered gifts. He gave pigs to married men and handkerchiefs to women. Boys and girls received molasses and ginger cake.

A man named Rev. Frank Benjamin went to pick his pig. Welch got angry, claiming Benjamin took the biggest one. Welch accused Benjamin of stealing a "hog," not a "pig."

Lewis's father, Doc Lewis, was chosen to be the judge in this case. This was young J. Vance Lewis's first look at how the law worked. His father did a great job. He explained when a pig becomes a hog. The jury decided Benjamin was innocent. After the trial, Mr. Cage said Doc was a "born lawyer." This moment likely inspired young Vance.

Getting an Education

Eventually, a public school was started for African-American children on the farm. Lewis's father, Mr. Welch, and Mr. Cage helped create it. They hired a teacher from the West Indies.

Lewis was a very good student. He was friendly and liked to compete with a boy named Warner Wright, who was called "Dick." Lewis felt he had an advantage in school. But then his parents died, and he became an orphan. Without their encouragement, he felt lost.

A few years later, Warner went to New Orleans to attend Leland University. This was Lewis's dream. Lewis felt crushed and wished he could go too. He stayed home. Soon, Warner came back to visit. He seemed arrogant, and Lewis didn't like it. Warner insisted on being called by his proper name, not "Dick." This made Lewis determined. He wanted to go to school and prove he could do even better than Warner. He also wanted to remain a kind person.

Lewis saved $64 from working on the farm. He then headed off to college. He made plans to work to pay for the rest of his schooling. At Leland University, he met Warner again. Things were different there. Warner was "Dick" again, and Lewis forgave him. They became good friends during their time at college.

(Warner Richard Wright later became a teacher and school principal. He also owned a pharmacy in Alexandria, Louisiana. One of his sons, Crispus Attucks Wright, became a successful lawyer and civil rights activist in Los Angeles. He even gave a large donation to a law school.)

Becoming a Lawyer

After finishing his studies at Leland University, Lewis decided to get his teaching certificate. He went to Orange, Texas. He then started teaching at Cripple Creek School in Angelina County, Texas. This school had a bad reputation. Lewis took the job mainly to earn money. He wanted to save enough to finish his education and become a lawyer.

He continued working as a teacher and principal in east Texas. Then, he attended Lincoln University (Pennsylvania) for two terms. A successful African-American lawyer gave him advice. Lewis decided to finish his law education at a school in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He graduated in 1894. After that, he was allowed to practice law in the Supreme Court of Michigan. He later attended Chicago College of Law. This allowed him to practice law in every court in Illinois.

Lewis then decided to apply to the highest court in the country. This was the Supreme Court of the United States. On October 11, 1897, he received a letter. It told him to be present on November 22nd in Washington, D.C. The Chief Justice would give the oath.

Lewis was one of 18 lawyers accepted that day. He was the only African American admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court at that time.

Lewis practiced law in Chicago until 1900. He then moved to New Orleans and later to Houston, Texas. In Houston, he quickly built a very successful law practice.

Questions About His Age

Joseph Vance Lewis wrote in his book that he was about ten years old when the Emancipation Proclamation happened. This would mean he was born around 1853. However, there is evidence that he was born later, possibly in 1863.

The 1870 census records show a seven-year-old boy named "Jousille" Lewis. He was living with "Doctor" Lewis and his wife Rose. If Lewis was born in December 1863, he would have been only 16 months old when the American Civil War ended. This would mean he had no memory of being a slave.

Other records show different birth years for Lewis. Sometimes he used 1868 or 1869. His grave marker shows 1868. When he applied for a passport in 1903, he said his birth date was December 25, 1869. These different dates make his early life story a bit of a puzzle.

Family and Later Years

Joseph Vance Lewis was married four times. However, he only mentioned one of his marriages in his autobiography. On April 21, 1891, he married Martha Henderson in Jefferson County, Texas. They had two daughters, Sadie Rosanna and Lillian Novenia. This marriage likely ended in divorce.

In 1897, he married Laura Jane McDonald. They also had two daughters. This marriage also seems to have ended in divorce. On May 13, 1905, Lewis married Pauline R. Gray in Houston, Texas. In his book, he called her "my dear little wife, the one who stood by me during the time of all my troubles." But this marriage also appears to have ended in divorce.

In 1914, he married for the fourth and last time. He married Amanda D. Rogers, and they had a daughter together.

J. Vance Lewis passed away in Houston in 1925. He is buried at Olivewood Cemetery.

kids search engine
J. Vance Lewis Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.