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J.B. Miller Jr.
Member From: 1869 - 1871
- Birth Date: ca. 1840 Birth Place:Henrico County, VA
- Death Date: by 1896
- Gender: Male Race: African American
- Spouse: Francis
- Children: 2 daughters and 3 sons
- Religion:
- Education:
- Military Service:
- Occupation/Profession: Teacher and Barber
- Memberships/Affiliations: Goochland Republicans (chairmen)
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Additional Info Links:
Bio from Virginia's Martin Luther King Jr. Commission
Encyclopedia Virginia Biography
- Bio: John B. Miller Jr., member of the House of Delegates (1869–1871), was born free in the early 1840s, probably in Henrico County, the son of a cooper and his wife. By 1860 he worked as a barber and owned property deeded to him by his father. In May 1867 he likely lived in Richmond and was named to the interracial jury pool of the United States Circuit Court which, had it been held, would have tried former Confederate president Jefferson Davis. In July 1869 Miller won election to a two-year term in the House of Delegates representing Goochland County. Miller voted to ratify the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, which Congress required before it seated senators and representatives from Virginia. He attempted without success to have the House invite African American ministers to open sessions with prayers. He introduced unsuccessful bills addressing fair work measures and racial discrimination. After his legislative career, Miller worked again as a barber, but he and his wife faced financial difficulties, and in 1875 he was charged, and acquitted, with financial fraud. The date and place of his death are unknown, although a February 1896 newspaper article on members of the 1867 interracial jury described him as being deceased.
| Session | District | District Number | Party | Leadership | Committees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1869-1871 | Goochland | Radical Republican | Labor and the Poor Officers and Offices at the Capitol |
*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.