Curtis Pollard was a minister, farmer, store keeper and state legislator who served in the

Louisiana State Senate The Louisiana State Senate (french: Sénat de Louisiane) is the upper house of the state legislature of Louisiana. All senators serve four-year terms and are assigned to multiple committees. Composition The Louisiana State Senate is compose ...

during the

Reconstruction era The Reconstruction era was a period in American history following the American Civil War (1861–1865) and lasting until approximately the Compromise of 1877. During Reconstruction, attempts were made to rebuild the country after the bloo ...

Biography

Pollard was born in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

and in the

1870 United States census The United States census of 1870 was the ninth United States census. It was conducted by the Census Bureau from June 1, 1870, to August 23, 1871. The 1870 census was the first census to provide detailed information on the African-American popul ...

Pollard was listed as being aged 63. He was a Baptist preacher who travelled to

Madison Parish, Louisiana Madison Parish (French language, French: ''Paroisse de Madison'') is a List of parishes in Louisiana, parish located on the northeastern border of the U.S. state of Louisiana, in the delta lowlands along the Mississippi River. As of the 2010 ...

in 1864 to start a farm. He was successful at farming and obtained recognition in the local community leading to his selection as convention delegate and then his senatorial nomination. He was a delegate to the Louisiana constitutional conventions in 1867 and 1868 representing

Franklin Parish Franklin Parish (french: Paroisse de Franklin) is a parish located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 20,767. The parish seat is Winnsboro. The parish was founded in 1843 and ...

and

Madison Parish Madison Parish ( French: ''Paroisse de Madison'') is a parish located on the northeastern border of the U.S. state of Louisiana, in the delta lowlands along the Mississippi River. As of the 2010 census, the population was 12,093. Its parish ...

and in 1867 he served on the ''Committee on the Executive Department''. Pollard was nominated to run for the state senate by the Republicans and was elected to the

for the 1868 to 1870 session. He was almost the nomination for the United States senator for Louisiana which he lost to

Oscar James Dunn Oscar James Dunn (1822 – November 22, 1871) served as a Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana during the era of Reconstruction and was the first African American to act as governor of a U.S. state. In 1868, Dunn became the first elected black ...

after interrupting his own potential nominator. At the time Pollard was described as "a black man, uncompromisingly and a Republican equally uncompromising". In his first senatorial session he served on a Committee for Auditing and Supervising the Expenses of the Senate as well as one for charitable and public institutions. For the 1870 to 1872 senatorial session he lost the nomination to William L. McMillen but Pollard decided to run as an independent Republican candidate, but lost to McMillen. He was living in

Delta, Louisiana Delta is a village in Madison Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 239 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Tallulah Micropolitan Statistical Area. As the birthplace of African-American entrepreneur Madam C.J. Walker, the fir ...

at the time. Pollard was then again elected to serve in the

in 1872 representing the 17th senatorial district and he served until 1876. Pollard was a partner in the ''Mississippi River Packet Company'' which was a black-owned enterprise. He had also been a parish police jury and ran a grocery store until 1872. He was a founder of the ''Bank of Delta'' in February 1874. He left his wife and children unwillingly when he was forced by armed men onto a steamboat in 1879 whilst helping emigrants leave to Kansas.

References

1800s births People from Madison Parish, Louisiana African-American politicians during the Reconstruction Era Louisiana state senators {{Louisiana-politician-stub

Biography

See also

References