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Henry Clay Harris
Member From: 1874 - 1875
- Birth Date: ca. 1840s Birth Place:Buckingham County, VA
- Death Date: after October 5, 1905
- Gender: Male Race: African American
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Additional Info Links:
Bio from Virginia's Martin Luther King Jr. Commission
Encyclopedia Virginia Biography
- Additional Info: Henry Clay Harris, was a member of the House of Delegates from 1873 to 1875, and involved in the Republican Party from the local to the national level. Born early in the 1840s probably in Buckingham County and perhaps into slavery, Harris went to Philadelphia and Ohio to be educated. When he returned to Virginia in 1867 he began participating in local politics. In November 1873, he won election to a two-year term for a seat in the House of Delegates from Halifax County. During his tenure in the House of Delegates and after he lost his election for the Senate of Virginia in 1875, Harris fought against attempts to restrict African Americans’ right to vote. With his nomination in 1899 to the House of Delegates by Republicans in Halifax, Harris became one of the last African Americans a major party is known to have nominated for the General Assembly until after World War II. He lost the election. The date and place of his death and burial are not known. The last known appearance of Harris is 1905 in the Halifax County records.
| Session | District | District Number | Party | Leadership | Committees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1874-1875 | Halifax | Republican | Public Property |
*The information within this interactive and searchable application has been researched extensively by the House Clerk’s Office. As with any historical records of this age and breadth, there may be discrepancies and/or inconsistencies within records obtained from a variety of credible sources. Any feedback is encouraged at history@house.virginia.gov.