Willis Augustus Hodges facts for kids

Willis Augustus Hodges (born February 12, 1815 – died September 24, 1890) was an important African-American leader. He was an abolitionist, which means he worked to end slavery. He was also a journalist and a politician. Hodges became well-known in Brooklyn, New York. He was born in Virginia to free parents.

Hodges spoke out strongly against slavery before the Civil War. He helped enslaved people escape through the Underground Railroad when he moved to New York. He worked with famous figures like William Lloyd Garrison, John Brown, and Frederick Douglass. He also published his own newspaper called The Ram’s Horn, which was against slavery.

After the Civil War, Hodges served in the Union Army. He was active in Reconstruction politics in Virginia. Reconstruction was the period after the Civil War when the Southern states were rebuilt. Hodges was a delegate at the State Constitutional Convention of Virginia from 1867 to 1868. He moved back to New York in 1881. This was after conservative white leaders gained power again in Virginia.

Early Life

Hodges was born in Princess Anne County, Virginia on February 12, 1815. His father, Charles Augustus Hodges, was a free African American. His mother, Julia Nelson Willis, was a free woman of mixed heritage. His father was a successful farmer and owned land.

Even though his family was free, Hodges cared deeply about other free Black people in the South. They faced many unfair rules and challenges. Hodges later wrote about their struggles in his autobiography.

Fighting Against Slavery

When Willis was fourteen, his older brother William was arrested. He was accused of speaking out against slavery. William escaped from jail and fled to Canada. This event made the Hodges family outcasts in Princess Anne County. Young Hodges was sometimes attacked by angry mobs during this time.

After the Nat Turner rebellion, white lawmakers passed harsh laws. These laws were against free Black people. They feared more uprisings.

Hodges left Virginia and moved to New York in 1836. His sister encouraged him to study. He soon started going to meetings about ending slavery. Hodges quickly felt that many people in the North were "more men of words than deeds." He became a strong supporter of ending slavery right away, using any means necessary.

In the 1840s, he started his newspaper, The Ram's Horn. He began working with John Brown, who was a very passionate anti-slavery activist. Brown was known for organizing an armed raid on the US armory in Harpers Ferry, Virginia in 1859.

War and Rebuilding the South

During the Civil War, Hodges traveled to the South. He worked as a scout for the Union Army. He used his knowledge of Princess Anne County to help the Federal forces. This helped them take control of the area.

After the war, Hodges returned to his childhood home. He was chosen to represent Virginia at the constitutional convention in 1867–1868. These conventions were ordered by the United States Congress. They were important because it was the first time Black people served as lawmakers alongside white people. This happened in Virginia and other Southern states.

Because Hodges played a leading role at the convention, he was made fun of in Southern newspapers. These papers were often very hostile to the role of African Americans in Reconstruction. Hodges supported the Radical Republicans. He wanted Black people to have the right to vote. He also demanded that former Confederates lose their voting rights. He pushed for public schools to be integrated, meaning Black and white students could attend together. These schools were created for the first time by biracial lawmakers in the South.

When conservative white Democrats regained control of the government in Virginia, Hodges returned to New York in 1881. He did visit Virginia again in later years.

Death

Hodges died on September 24, 1890, in Norfolk, Virginia. He was seventy-five years old.