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Archer Scott
Member From: 1875 - 1884
- Birth Date: ca. May 1836 Birth Place:Nottoway County, VA
- Death Date: 1908
- Gender: Male Race: African American
- Spouse: Angelina or Angeline
- Children:
- Religion: Baptist
- Education:
- Military Service:
- Occupation/Profession:
- Memberships/Affiliations: New Yielding Zion Church, Jedediah Baptist Church (trustee)
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Additional Info Links:
Bio from Virginia's Martin Luther King Jr. Commission
Bio from Encyclopedia Virginia
- Bio: Archer Scott represented Amelia and Nottoway Counties in the House of Delegates from 1879 to 1884. Born into slavery of mixed-race ancestry, he was identified in the U.S. Census records as a farmer. Scott won election in 1875 to a two-year term representing Nottoway County in the House of Delegates. He proposed an unsuccessful measure to require sheriffs to summon equal numbers of white and Black registered voters when assembling panels of potential jurors. He was not a candidate for reelection in 1877, but he won election again in 1879 after Amelia County was added to the district. Allied with the emerging Readjuster Party, Scott won reelection in 1881 as a coalition of Republicans and Readjusters won majorities in the General Assembly. Among the many reform measures were a constitutional amendment to abolish the poll tax and laws to establish a college for African Americans (what became Virginia State University), and to abolish the whipping post. Scott won another term in 1883, but the Readjusters lost their majority and influence. He was elected an overseer of the poor in Nottoway in 1891 and deeded a half acre of property to the New Yielding Zion Church in 1893. Archer Scott died probably before July 31, 1909, when his name was not included on the personal property tax records for that year.
| Session | District | District Number | Party | Leadership | Committees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1875-1877 | Nottoway | Republican | Claims | ||
| 1879-1880 | Nottoway and Amelia | Republican | Enrolled Bills Propositions and Greivances |
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| 1881-1882 | Nottoway and Amelia | Readjuster | Agriculture and Mining Enrolled Bills |
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| 1883-1884 | Nottoway and Amelia | Enrolled Bills Executive Expenditures Labor and the Poor Schools and Colleges |
*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.