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Alexander G. Lee
Member From: 1877 - 1879
- Birth Date: Unknown Birth Place:Portsmouth, Virginia
- Death Date: Unknown
- Gender: Male Race: African American
- Spouse: Betsy Watts; Nellie
- Children: 2 sons
- Religion:
- Education:
- Military Service:
- Occupation/Profession: Lighthouse keeper and boatman
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Additional Info Links:
Bio from Virginia's Martin Luther King Jr. Commission
Encyclopedia Virginia Biography
- Bio: Alexander G. Lee, believed to have been born enslaved, of mixed race ancestry, in Portsmouth in the 1830s or early 1840s was a member of the House of Delegates (1877–1879). He lived in Hampton shortly after the conclusion of the American Civil War (1861–1865), married, and worked as an oysterman, laborer, and boatman. In 1873 he ran unsuccessfully for the House of Delegates. Lee ran again in 1877 and won a two-year term representing the counties of Elizabeth City and Warwick. He unsuccessfully tried to pass a resolution to instruct the judge of Elizabeth City County to select jurors regardless of race. After his single term Lee stayed active in local politics. He obtained a federal patronage appointment as a lighthouse keeper, a position he kept until the mid-1880s. He ran again for the House of Delegates in 1887, was defeated, and spent the rest of his life working for the army’s corps of engineers at Fort Monroe. He died, most likely in Hampton, by October 10, 1901.
| Session | District | District Number | Party | Leadership | Committees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1877-1879 | Elizabeth City & Warwick | Chesapeake and Its Tributaries Retrenchment and the Economy |
*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.