Oscar Dunn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Oscar Dunn
11th Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana
In office June 27, 1868 – November 22, 1871
Governor	Henry C. Warmoth
Preceded by	Albert Voorhies
Succeeded by	P.B.S. Pinchback
Personal details
Born	Oscar James Dunn 1822 New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Died	November 22, 1871 (aged c. 49) New Orleans, Louisiana
Resting place	St. Louis Cemetery No. 2 in New Orleans
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Ellen Boyd Marchand
Children	Three adopted children from Ellen's prior marriage
Occupation	Musician; businessman

Oscar James Dunn (born around 1822 – died November 22, 1871) was an important leader during a time in American history called Reconstruction. He made history as the first African American to serve as Lieutenant Governor of a U.S. state. He also became the first African American to act as a governor of a U.S. state.

In 1868, Dunn was elected lieutenant governor of Louisiana. He ran alongside Henry Clay Warmoth, who became the governor. In 1871, Governor Warmoth had to leave the state twice due to an injury. During these times, Oscar Dunn stepped in as acting governor. This was allowed by the Louisiana Constitution of 1868. He served as acting governor for a total of 39 days. Dunn sadly died while still in office. Another African American Republican, P.B.S. Pinchback, was chosen to replace him. A year later, Pinchback also became acting governor for a short time.

Early Life and Freedom

Oscar Dunn was born into slavery in New Orleans around 1822. His mother, Maria Dunn, was enslaved, and Oscar inherited her status. His father, James Dunn, had been freed in 1819. James was a skilled carpenter who worked for James H. Caldwell.

After gaining his freedom, James Dunn married Maria. They had two children, Oscar and Jane. At that time, slave marriages were not legally recognized. By 1832, James Dunn had earned enough money to buy the freedom of his wife and both children. This meant they became free African Americans many years before the American Civil War.

Learning and Community

Oscar's parents worked hard to pay for their children's education. Maria Dunn ran a boarding house for actors. Oscar studied music and became a talented musician and violin teacher.

As a young man, Dunn became an apprentice to a plastering and painting contractor. He was listed in the Mayor's Register of Free People of Color. This record confirmed his free status.

Dunn joined Prince Hall Richmond Lodge #4, a Freemason group for African Americans. He became a leader in this organization. Being a Freemason helped Dunn develop strong leadership skills. It also helped him build a wide network of connections within the black community. These connections were very important for his later political career.

Marriage and Family Life

In December 1866, Oscar Dunn married Ellen Boyd Marchand. She was a widow who had been born free in Ohio. Dunn adopted Ellen's three children: Fannie, Charles, and Emma. Oscar and Ellen did not have children together. By 1870, the Dunn family lived on Canal Street in New Orleans. They were members of the St. James A.M.E. Church.

Making a Difference in Politics

After the American Civil War, the Thirteenth Amendment ended slavery. Oscar Dunn worked hard to help millions of newly freed African Americans achieve equality. He strongly supported the idea of universal suffrage, meaning everyone should have the right to vote. He also believed that all black children should have taxpayer-funded education. Dunn wanted equal protection under the law for everyone, as stated in the Fourteenth Amendment.

He joined the Republican Party, which supported voting rights for African Americans.

Fighting for Equal Rights

Dunn opened an employment agency to help freedmen find jobs. He also worked to make sure that newly freed slaves were treated fairly by their former owners. In 1866, he helped start the People's Bakery, a business owned and run by African Americans.

In 1867, Dunn was elected to the New Orleans city council. He led a committee that reviewed the city's rules. He suggested that all children, regardless of their skin color, should be able to attend public schools. This idea became law in Louisiana. It helped create the state's first public education system, which was set up by a legislature with both black and white members.

Dunn was very active in politics at all levels. He even had connections with U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant.

Becoming Lieutenant Governor

When he ran for lieutenant governor, Oscar Dunn won the Republican nomination. He beat a white candidate by a large vote. The Republican team of Warmoth and Dunn won the election. Dunn became lieutenant governor on June 13, 1868.

As lieutenant governor, he was also the President pro tempore of the Louisiana State Senate. He was part of important committees that managed large budgets. He also served as President of the Metropolitan Police. This police force worked to keep peace in a challenging political time. In 1870, Dunn also served on the board of trustees for Straight University, a college for African Americans.

A Sudden End

On November 22, 1871, Oscar Dunn died suddenly at home at age 49. He had been very busy campaigning for upcoming elections. There was some talk that he might have been poisoned, but no proof was ever found. His family did not allow an autopsy.

Dunn's funeral was one of the largest ever seen in New Orleans. As many as 50,000 people lined Canal Street for the procession. Newspapers across the country reported on the event. State officials, Masonic groups, and other organizations took part in the procession. He was buried in the Cassanave family mausoleum at St. Louis Cemetery No. 2.

Remembering Oscar Dunn

W.E.B. Du Bois, a famous civil rights leader, later called Dunn "an unselfish, incorruptible leader."

The New Orleans Times-Picayune newspaper published a poem in his honor the day after he died. It was called The Death Struggle:

My back is to the wall
And my face is to my foes;
I've lived a life of combat,
And borne what no one knows.
But in this mortal struggle
I stand—poor speck of dust,
Defiant—self-reliant,
To die—if die I must.

Survivors

After Oscar Dunn's death, his wife, Ellen, was appointed by the mayor of New Orleans to be the city's archives director. A few years later, in 1875, she married J. Henri Burch. He was a former state senator who had been a political ally of Oscar Dunn. The Burch family continued to live in New Orleans.

Images for kids

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  Oscar James Dunn, Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana 1868–1871, National Archive Mathew Brady Collection

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  Portraits of African-American delegates to the Louisiana Constitutional Convention, 1868. Dunn, in the center, is pictured seated at his desk.

See also

• List of African-American firsts