Reuben Kolb facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Reuben Francis Kolb
Reuben Francis Kolb
Born	April 15, 1839 Eufaula, Alabama, U.S.
Died	March 23, 1918
Resting place	Greenwood Cemetery, Montgomery, Alabama, U.S.
Education	University of North Carolina
Occupation	Politician

Reuben Francis Kolb (born 1839, died 1918) was an important politician from Alabama. He tried to become the governor of Alabama three times but didn't win. These attempts were in 1890, 1892, and 1894. First, he ran as a Democrat. Later, he joined the Populist Party. Kolb also served as Alabama's Commissioner of Agriculture twice. He held this job in 1887 and again from 1910 to 1914.

Early Life and Challenges

Reuben Kolb was born on April 15, 1839. His hometown was Eufaula in Barbour County. During the American Civil War, he fought for the Confederate side. He led a group of soldiers who used cannons.

Before the war, Kolb had a very good life. He was a rich farmer and a merchant. He owned a lot of land, about 3,000 acres. But after the war, things changed. He lost more than half of his land. His store, which used to do well, also failed. After these losses, he managed a theater in Eufaula. He also found success as a farmer who grew vegetables for sale. He was good at developing and selling seeds to other farmers.

Kolb's uncle was John Gill Shorter, who was also a governor of Alabama.

Political Career and Ideas

Kolb was very involved with the Farmers' Alliance. This group worked to help farmers. As a Democrat, Kolb often disagreed with the "Redeemers." These were conservative Southern Democrats. Kolb saw himself as a "Jeffersonian Democrat." This meant he believed in ideas similar to Thomas Jefferson.

At first, Kolb supported the voting rights of Black citizens. This was different from the Redeemers. They wanted to stop Black people from voting. However, Kolb later changed his mind. He ended up supporting the Alabama Constitution of 1901. This new constitution made it harder for Black people and many poor white people to vote.

Kolb was known as a loyal Democrat. He spoke about "white supremacy" and new farming methods. He was elected as Alabama's first Commissioner of Agriculture in 1888.

Challenging the Powerful

Cotton prices were falling, which made life hard for farmers. Many poor farmers had to become sharecroppers. This meant they farmed land owned by someone else and shared their crops. In 1892, Kolb decided to challenge the powerful groups in Alabama. These groups included rich factory owners and wealthy landowners.

Kolb started a new political movement. He wanted to bring together poor farmers, sharecroppers, and Black voters. His goal was to fight against the powerful and privileged. This idea made conservative Democrats very angry. They responded with strong messages about "white supremacy."

In 1894, Kolb stopped talking about Black voting rights. This showed that his support for racial equality was not very deep. After his party lost badly in the 1896 election, Kolb wanted to rejoin the Democratic Party. He admitted his past mistakes and asked to be allowed back into the party that supported "white supremacy."

The elections Kolb lost in 1892 and 1894 were very controversial. He lost to Thomas Goode Jones and William C. Oates. Many people believe these elections had serious problems. There were widespread issues with how votes were counted and handled.

Later Life and Death

Reuben Kolb passed away on March 23, 1918. He was buried in the Greenwood Cemetery in Montgomery, Alabama.