"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : GEORGE WASHINGTON WILLIAMS

When I mention the names George Washington and George Washington Carver, many people have undoubtedly heard much about them. However, when I mention the name George Washington Williams, not many people can honestly say that they have ever heard anything about him at all! One reason that people haven’t heard about him is because he died when he was only 41 years of age. Another reason is simply because he wasn’t included in any of the American History books in our public schools. George Washington Williams is credited as the first Negro to compile the overall history of Negroes[ listing their various contributions within the early colonies, from 1619 - 1880 ] living in America. His groundbreaking book entitled,”The History of the Negro Race in America 1619–1880” was published in 1882. George Washington Williams was born on October 16, 1849 in Bedford Springs, Pennsylvania. Since his parents were born “FREE NEGROES”( the state of Pennsylvania had abolished slavery sometime before his parents were born ), George was considered free as well! He was the son of Thomas and Ellen Rouse Williams. Although he had a very limited amount of formal education, George was trained as a barber at a place known as,”A House of Refuge.” Once the American Civil War started, he voluntarily enlisted into the Union Army. After the war ended, George traveled to Mexico and joined the Republican army in their fight against “Maximilian.” When he returned to the United States in the spring of1867, George rejoined the American army, but he was released of his duties{ due to being wounded in one of his lungs in 1868 }. In 1869, he applied to enroll at Howard University. Even though he went and attended Howard, his stay there was short! In 1870, George began studying at the Newton Theological Institution, near Boston, Massachusetts. In 1874, he became the first Negro to graduate from Newton! Following his graduation from Newton, George was ordained as a Baptist Minister, and married Sarah A. Sterrett. Next, he and his wife moved to Washington D.C. where he started a newspaper called the Commoner. Around 1876, he and his wife moved to Cincinnati, Ohio where he studied law under the tutelage of Alphonso Taft(?the father of President William H Taft ). After passing the bar exam, George decided to run for a seat in the Ohio state congress! In 1879, he He became the first Negro to be elected to the Ohio state legislature[ he served one term, 1880 to 1881 ].Amongst his many accomplishments included being an historian on Negro History, securing an informal interview with King Leopold ll of Belgium[ after having been impressed by meeting the king, he traveled to the Congo Free State to see its development. George was shocked by the widespread brutaul abuses and slavery imposed on the Congolese people! ], and his letter he wrote to King Leopold ll( describing the horrible conditions that he had witnessed that led to the Belgian government taking over the supervision of the Congo Free State, which helped improved the treatment of the Congolese people ). Around 1890, he took ill on a trip from Africa. Although George was able to make it all the way to Blackpool, England, he would not live to see the shores of America again. Sadly, George Washington Williams died in Blackpool, England{ on August 2, 1891 }. In 1975 a tombstone was placed at George’s grave in Blackpool, England, noting him as an "Afro-American historian".Also, “The George Washington Williams Memorial Room” was named in his honor on the first floor of the Ohio State House.