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George Lewis Seaton
Sessions Served: 1869 - 1871
- Birth Date: ca. 1822 Birth Place:Alexandria, VA (at the time of his birth it was part of the District of Columbia)
- Death Date: July 5, 1881
- Gender: Male Race: African American
- Spouse: Mary Louisa Bryant (m. October 6, 1845); Catherine Turley (m. March 18, 1874)
- Children: Seven sons, five daughters
- Religion: Baptist
- Education:
- Military Service:
- Occupation/Profession: Grocery Store Owner
- Memberships/Affiliations: Colored Public School Building Association (trustee and president), Alfred Street Baptist Church (deacon), Young Men’s Christian Association chapter for African Americans
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Additional Info Links:
Bio from Encyclopedia Virginia
Bio from Virginia's Martin Luther King Jr. Commission
- Additional Info: The George Lewis Seaton House was added to the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places in 2003 and 2004, respectively.
- Bio: George Lewis Seaton represented Alexandria for one session in the House of Delegates (1869–1871). Born free, Seaton worked as a carpenter and conducted multiple property transactions. After the American Civil War (1861–1865) he worked to improve the lives of former slaves by constructing two schools for Alexandria’s freedpeople and helping to establish a local branch of the Freedman’s Savings Bank and Trust Company. Seaton’s strong reputation probably played a role in his selection to the grand jury for the U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Virginia, likely the first interracial jury in Virginia history. In 1869 he won election to the House of Delegates and voted with the majority to ratify the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments to the U.S. Constitution as required by Congress before Virginia could be readmitted to the United States. He lost a bid for reelection in 1871 by fewer than 100 votes, but continued to participate in party politics throughout the decade. He spent his later years supporting public schools and community organizations for African Americans in Alexandria, but had to liquidate assets including his grocery store after the Panic of 1873. He died of paralysis in his home in 1881.
| Session | District | District Number | Party | Leadership | Committees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1869-1871 | Alexandria | Republican | Banks, Currency and Commerce 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.