Jacques Gla facts for kids
Jacques Gla (1833/4-1894) was an important American politician from Louisiana. He served as a member of the Louisiana State Senate in 1872 and again from 1874 to 1880. Gla lived in East Carroll.
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Early Life and Military Service
Jacques Gla was born free in New Orleans around 1833 or 1834. He came from an old Creole family. During the American Civil War, federal troops took control of New Orleans in 1862.
Gla joined the Union army as a Captain. He was part of the 3rd Louisiana Native Guard. This unit was later called the 75th U.S. Colored Infantry. In 1863, Black officers, including Gla, were removed from service. This happened under General Nathanial P. Banks.
Starting a Political Career
After the Civil War, Gla moved to Carroll Parish. This area was later split into East Carroll and West Carroll in 1877. There, he became a planter, which means he owned and managed a farm.
In 1872, Gla was elected to the Louisiana State Senate. He represented a district that included Carroll and Madison Parishes. He served for a short time in this first term.
Around 1873, the Republican Party in Carroll Parish split. Gla became the leader of a group of Republicans who were more traditional. This group was against another politician named George C. Benham. Some important Democrats encouraged Gla to run against Benham for the state senate. Gla then gathered a group of Republicans who were unhappy with Benham.
The 1874 Election Showdown
The 1874 elections in Louisiana became a big contest between Gla's group and Benham's group. At the local level, Benham's group easily won all the offices. They also won both state representative positions.
In the state senate race, Benham won many votes in Carroll Parish. However, Gla won the overall election because he received more votes from Madison Parish. After the election, some people from Gla's group challenged the results in court. They said there were problems with how the election was run.
A local court decided the election was not valid and ordered a new one. But the Supreme Court of Louisiana later changed this decision. A special investigation by the U.S. Congress also looked into the election. It found that some cheating happened in favor of Benham. However, it was not enough to change the final result, as Benham had still lost.
Changes in Local Politics
In 1875, Benham's group faced a big problem. An investigation showed that over $50,000 in false claims had been made since Benham's group gained power in 1868. This was a serious issue.
Because of this, the entire local governing body, called the Police Jury, resigned. Some important members were charged with wrongdoing. This caused Benham's group to completely fall apart. The Governor, William P. Kellogg, then appointed new members to fill the empty spots. All the new members were Democrats.
Later Political Career and Challenges
Gla was reelected to the state senate in 1876. However, these elections led to the Democratic Party gaining control over the state. This happened after the Compromise of 1877. Soon after, the new state legislature divided Carroll Parish into two parts. These became East Carroll and West Carroll Parishes.
Gla's group was able to win control of the new East Carroll Parish. They took a more careful approach to how they governed. Even with their careful leadership, they faced violence in Louisiana in 1878. Many Black leaders were forced to leave or were killed. The Republican Party in the South was also weakened.
In November 1878, Gla joined the Democratic Party. He asked other Black people to join him. Gla might have hoped this would make the Democrats less harsh. But just a few months later, in April 1879, all three Black members of the East Carroll Police Jury were forced to resign. They were replaced by white Democrats.
Gla continued to serve in the state senate until 1880. In 1881, President James Garfield appointed him as the Surveyor General of Louisiana. Jacques Gla passed away in 1894.
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