Samuel P. Bolling (January 10, 1819 – February 8, 1900) was an African-American landowner, politician, businessman, and former slave who served in the

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbe ...

. In 2013 Bolling, along with his son Phillip S. Bolling, was one of several African Americans that were commemorated by the Commonwealth of Virginia for their service to the Virginia House of Delegates during the time period of 1869 to 1890. Bolling was born on January 10, 1819, in Cumberland County, Virginia. As his mother Olive Bolling was a slave, Bolling and his brother were both born into slavery as well. After the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

Bolling amassed a large amount of property and worked as a farmer, builder, and brickmaker. He married a woman by the name of Ellen, with whom he had six children, which included his son Phillip, who was elected to the House of Delegates in 1883. He was a member of the Readjuster Party, for whom he worked as an election judge and in 1885, an election commissioner. In 1883 he was elected to the Cumberland County board of supervisors, a position that he was re-elected to the following year. Bolling won a seat in the House of Delegates in 1885 and ran again in 1887, but lost to Nathaniel M. Griggs. After losing the election Bolling remained active in politics and participated in

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 ...

politics and also worked with the 1888 congressional campaign of

John Mercer Langston John Mercer Langston (December 14, 1829 – November 15, 1897) was an American abolitionist, attorney, educator, activist, diplomat, and politician. He was the founding dean of the law school at Howard University and helped create the department ...

. Bolling died on February 8, 1900, in Cumberland County.

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* 1819 births 1900 deaths American freedmen African-American state legislators in Virginia Readjuster Party politicians Republican Party members of the Virginia House of Delegates People from Cumberland County, Virginia 19th-century American legislators African-American politicians during the Reconstruction Era 19th-century Virginia politicians {{Virginia-delegate-stub

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