Thomas McCants Stewart facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thomas M. Stewart
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Stewart in 1887
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| Born | December 28, 1853 |
| Died | January 7, 1923 (aged 69) |
| Alma mater | Howard University, University of South Carolina at Columbia, Princeton College |
| Occupation | Clergyman, lawyer and civil rights leader |
| Employer | Claflin University, Bethel Methodist Episcopal Church, Liberia College |
| Organization | Brooklyn School Board, Brooklyn, New York, 1891-1894 |
| Office | Associated Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia |
| Term | 1911-1914 |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
| Spouse(s) | Charlotte Pearl Harris, Alice Franklin |
| Children | McCants Stewart, Gilchrist Stewart, and Carlotta Stewart Lai |
| Parent(s) | George Gilchrist Stewart and Anna Morris Stewart |
Thomas McCants Stewart (born December 28, 1853 – died January 7, 1923) was an African American church leader, lawyer, and a champion for equal rights. He worked hard to make things fair for everyone.
Contents
Who Was Thomas McCants Stewart?
Early Life and Education
Thomas McCants Stewart was born in Charleston, South Carolina, on December 28, 1853. His parents, George Gilchrist Stewart and Anna Morris Stewart, were free African Americans. This meant they were not enslaved.
He went to the Avery Normal Institute in Charleston. In 1869, at age 15, he moved to Washington, DC. There, he started studying at Howard University.
In 1873, he became one of the first Black students at the University of South Carolina at Columbia. He earned his first degree in 1875. Later that same year, he also earned a law degree. After finishing school, he joined a law firm. He also taught math at the State Agricultural College. This college later became South Carolina State University. In 1877, he studied to become a minister. After two years, he became a pastor at Bethel Methodist Episcopal Church in New York City.
Fighting for Rights
Thomas McCants Stewart was a good friend of Booker T. Washington. He believed in being self-reliant, which means depending on yourself. In 1886, he took legal action against a steamer company. This was because they refused him a private room on their ship.
He also helped start the American Negro Academy in 1897. This group celebrated the life of Frederick Douglass, a famous leader. Stewart later returned to Brooklyn, New York. He became involved in the Democratic Party, a political group. From 1891 to 1894, he was part of the Brooklyn School Board.
As a school board member, he helped make P.S. 83 in Weeksville a mixed-race school. This was a big step. It was also the first public school in the country to have an African American, Maritcha Lyons, supervise new teachers. He also argued civil rights cases in the New York courts. This means he fought for equal rights in legal battles.
Later Life and Work Abroad
In 1898, Stewart moved to Hawaii. There, he helped many different people with their legal issues. He also helped write the Honolulu City Charter, which is like a city's rulebook. He especially helped Chinese people in cases against the Chinese Exclusion Act. This act made it hard for Chinese people to come to the U.S.
In 1905, he moved to London, England. In 1911, he was chosen to be a judge in Liberia. He became an Associated Justice of the Liberian Supreme Court. However, he criticized the president of Liberia. Because of this, he was removed from the court in 1914.
Stewart went back to London. In 1921, he settled in the Virgin Islands. He started a law practice there with Christopher Payne. He passed away in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, in 1923. He died from a serious lung illness called pneumonia. He asked to be buried wrapped in the Liberian flag.
What Did Thomas McCants Stewart Write?
Thomas McCants Stewart wrote three books. In 1880, he wrote In Memory of Rev. James Morris Williams. In 1886, he published Liberia: the Americo-African Republic: Being Some Impressions of the Climate, Resources, and People, Resulting from Personal Observations and Experiences in West Africa. This book shared his thoughts on Liberia. His book Revised Statutes of the Republic of Liberia was published in 1928, after his death. He also helped publish and wrote the introduction for Rufus L. Perry's book, The Cushite; or, The Children of Ham (the Negro Race) as Seen by the Ancient Historians and Poets.
Thomas McCants Stewart's Family
Thomas McCants Stewart was married two times. His first wife was Charlotte Pearl Harris. His second wife was Alice Franklin.
His son, McCants Stewart, became the first Black lawyer in Oregon. His daughter, Carlotta Stewart Lai, was a teacher in Hawaii for more than forty years.
See also
- List of first minority male lawyers and judges in Hawaii
