Edmund William McGregor Mackey (March 8, 1846 – January 27, 1884) was a lawyer, state representative, and

United States Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

. He was a leader in the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

Life and career

Edmund Mackey grave - Glenwood Cemetery - 2014-09-19

Born in

Charleston Charleston most commonly refers to: * Charleston, South Carolina * Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital * Charleston (dance) Charleston may also refer to: Places Australia * Charleston, South Australia Canada * Charleston, Newfoundlan ...

, his father was Dr.

Albert Mackey Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia * Albert Productions, a record label * Albert ...

, who was the primary founder of Scottish Rite

Freemasonry Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

. Edmund became a representative after the end of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. An active Republican, he was nominated to be a delegate from Charleston for the

constitutional convention Constitutional convention may refer to: * Constitutional convention (political custom), an informal and uncodified procedural agreement *Constitutional convention (political meeting), a meeting of delegates to adopt a new constitution or revise an e ...

of South Carolina in 1868. He was admitted to the bar in 1868 and practiced law in Charleston while also serving as

sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

and

alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many Jurisdiction, jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council membe ...

. Mackey was elected as a Republican to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1872. He campaigned successfully in 1874 as an Independent Republican for the Second Congressional District. The

44th Congress The 44th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1875, ...

declared his seat vacant on July 19, 1876. He was elected again to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1876 and claimed to be the

Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** In ...

after a tumultuous campaign in the state, marked by violence and intimidation. Republicans disputed the election of Democratic Representatives from Edgefield and Laurens counties because of massive fraud in the election and the barring of

freedmen A freedman or freedwoman is a formerly enslaved person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, enslaved people were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their captor-owners), abolitionism, emancipation (gra ...

from the polls by Democratic Party Red Shirts.Eric Foner, '' Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877'', New York: Perennial Classics, 2002, p.575 Following the South Carolina Supreme Court's decision to allow seating of elected legislators from Edgefield and Laurens counties, rival state governments assembled. Mackey and the Republican legislators occupied the

South Carolina State House The South Carolina State House is the building housing the government of the U.S. state of South Carolina, which includes the South Carolina General Assembly and the offices of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina. Located in t ...

with the support of Federal troops. The order of

President Hayes Rutherford Birchard Hayes (; October 4, 1822 – January 17, 1893) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 19th president of the United States from 1877 to 1881, after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and as governor ...

to remove Federal troops from South Carolina on April 10, 1877, a result of a political compromise ended the Republicans' struggle to control state government. The Democrats annulled the election of representatives from

Charleston County Charleston County is located in the U.S. state of South Carolina along the Atlantic coast. As of the 2020 census, its population was 408,235, making it the third most populous county in South Carolina (behind Greenville and Richland counties). ...

, including Edmund Mackey. Mackey continued to be active in public life serving as an

assistant United States attorney An assistant United States attorney (AUSA) is an official career civil service position in the U.S. Department of Justice composed of lawyers working under the U.S. Attorney of each U.S. federal judicial district. They represent the federal gove ...

for South Carolina from 1878 to 1881. Mackey attempted to win election as a Republican to the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from South Carolina, but lost the election against Michael P. O’Connor for the 2nd congressional district in 1878 and failed to have the Democratic- controlled House overturn the election. With the Republican takeover of the House for the

Forty-seventh Congress The 47th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. ) , image_sk ...

, Mackey succeeded in replacing

Samuel Dibble Samuel Dibble (September 16, 1837 – September 16, 1913) was a lawyer, educator and U.S. Representative from South Carolina. Birth and childhood Samuel Dibble was born in Charleston, South Carolina, the oldest son of Philander Virgil (1808-1 ...

for the House seat. Re-elected in 1882 from the Seventh Congressional District, Mackey died during the term in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, on January 27, 1884.

Personal life

In 1874, he married his wife, Victoria Sumter, who was part African American. They had two sons.

References

External links

Congressional Biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mackey, Edmund William McGregor Politicians from Charleston, South Carolina 1846 births 1884 deaths South Carolina Independents Independent Republican members of the United States House of Representatives Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from South Carolina 19th-century American legislators Lawyers from Charleston, South Carolina 19th-century American lawyers Burials at Glenwood Cemetery (Washington, D.C.)

Life and career

Personal life

See also

References

References

External links