James Merilus Simms (December 27, 1823 – July 9, 1912) was a minister, newspaper publisher, author, and elected representative in the
Georgia Assembly 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 ...
. He was African American.
Simms was born a slave in
Savannah, Georgia. A carpenter by trade, he bought his freedom in 1857. In around 1864, having been condemned for teaching slaves, he was sentenced to be publicly whipped and fined $100 (~$ in ). He left Savannah for Boston and became a chaplain in the Union Army,
later returning to his home district. Simms may have been the same person as the James M. Symms whose company published an edition of
William Wells Brown's ''The Black Man'' in 1863.
Simms and his African-American colleagues in the Georgia Assembly were prohibited from taking office after a vote by their colleagues. Federal intervention in 1870 overturned the discriminatory action. In 1871, Simms became the first African American judge in Georgia when he was appointed to the First Senatorial District Court. However, due to his unpopularity with Republicans and the white press, Simms resigned less than a year later. He wrote about his church's history in
Savannah, Georgia.
The First Colored Baptist Church in North America
Constituted at Savannah, Georgia, January 20, A.D. 1788. With Biographical Sketches of the Pastors: (Electronic Edition) Simms, James M. (James Meriles)
In 1870, he supported the Baptist minister and Assembly delegate Ulysses L. Houston
Ulysses L. Houston was a pastor and state legislator in Georgia.Freedom's Lawmakers by Eric Foner Louisiana State University Press (1996) pages 109 and 110 He was elected to the Georgia State Legislature in 1868,
and was an influential organize ...
in occupying the Bryan County Baptist Church, which had been taken over by his rival Alexander Harris; for their role in this protest, Houston and Simms were both arrested.
See also
*First Bryan Baptist Church
Historic First Bryan Baptist Church is an African-American church that was organized in Savannah, Georgia
Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Sa ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Simms, James M.
1823 births
1912 deaths
African-American politicians during the Reconstruction Era
African-American state legislators in Georgia (U.S. state)
African-American writers
African-American Baptist ministers
Original 33
19th-century American slaves
American carpenters
People from Savannah, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state) Republicans
20th-century African-American people