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This week in history: Oscar James Dunn, Louisiana’s first Black lieutenant governor, dies [1]

['Shannon Stecker', 'More Shannon Stecker', 'Verite News']

Date: 2023-11-24

On Nov. 22, 1871, Oscar Dunn, Louisiana’s first Black lieutenant governor, died. Dunn was among a number of Black men in the South who had gained power after the Civil War and during the Reconstruction era.

Dunn was born into slavery in 1822, though his stepfather purchased his freedom a decade later.

As an adult, Dunn opened an employment agency at the end of the Civil War. Recently freed men and women who had worked as servants and field hands during slavery were hired to assist businessmen and plantation owners throughout Louisiana.

After the passage of the Reconstruction Acts of 1867 and the creation of a new state constitution, Dunn was appointed to the New Orleans City Council. During his time on the council, he advocated for public education for all and helped create a firefighting system in the city.

In 1868, after former Union army officer Francis E. Dumas declined the nomination for lieutenant governor, Dunn ran on a ticket with Henry C. Warmoth, a young white politician from Illinois. They won the election, with Warmoth becoming Louisiana’s 23rd governor at the age of 26. Dunn took office on July 11, 1868, making him the first Black lieutenant governor in Louisiana.

But the honeymoon was short-lived. Dunn and Warmoth disagreed on civil rights matters, with Dunn describing Warmoth as “the first Ku-Klux governor of the party he has disgraced.” Warmoth joined forces with P.B.S. Pinchback, a Black political rival of Dunn’s. They colluded to tarnish Dunn’s reputation by alleging corruption and scandal within his family.

On Nov. 19, 1871, Dunn became violently ill. He was pronounced dead a few days later. He was 49.

Rumors that Dunn was poisoned quickly spread. A family spokesperson declined an autopsy, though a statement was published in a local newspaper claiming Dunn had died of “congestion of the brain and lungs.”

Shortly after Dunn’s death, Pinchback replaced him as lieutenant governor.Approximately 50,000 people lined Canal Street for the 12-block funeral procession that carried Dunn from St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church to St. Louis Cemetery No 2, where he is buried.

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If you share our stories on social media, please tag us in your posts using @VeriteNewsNola on Facebook @VeriteNewsNola on Twitter. If you have any other questions, contact managing editor Tim Morris. This week in history: Oscar James Dunn, Louisiana’s first Black lieutenant governor, dies <h1>This week in history: Oscar James Dunn, Louisiana’s first Black lieutenant governor, dies</h1> by Shannon Stecker, Verite News November 24, 2023 On Nov. 22, 1871, Oscar Dunn, Louisiana’s first Black lieutenant governor, died. Dunn was among a number of Black men in the South who had gained power after the Civil War and during the Reconstruction era. Dunn was born into slavery in 1822, though his stepfather purchased his freedom <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/03/us/history-refocused-oscar-https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/03/us/history-refocused-oscar-james-dunn-reconstruction/index.html-dunn-reconstruction/index.html">a decade later</a>. As an adult, Dunn opened an employment agency <a href="https://64parishes.org/entry/oscar-dunn-adaptation"> at the end of the Civil War</a>. Recently freed men and women who had worked as servants and field hands during slavery were hired to<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/03/us/history-refocused-oscar-james-dunn-reconstruction/index.html"> assist businessmen and plantation owners</a> throughout Louisiana. After the passage of the<a href="https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/reconstruction-acts-1867"> Reconstruction Acts of 1867</a> and the creation of a new state constitution, Dunn <a href="https://64parishes.org/entry/oscar-dunn-adaptation">was appointed</a> to the New Orleans City Council. During his time on the council, he advocated for public education for all and helped create a firefighting system in the city. In 1868, after former Union army officer Francis E. Dumas declined the nomination for lieutenant governor, Dunn ran on a ticket with Henry C. Warmoth, a young white politician from Illinois. They won the election, with Warmoth becoming Louisiana’s 23rd governor at the age of 26. Dunn took office on<a href="https://64parishes.org/entry/oscar-dunn-adaptation"> July 11, 1868</a>, making him<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/03/us/history-refocused-oscar-james-dunn-reconstruction/index.html"> the first Black</a> lieutenant governor in Louisiana. But the honeymoon was short-lived. Dunn and Warmoth disagreed on civil rights matters, with Dunn<a href="https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/political-poisoning-the-honorable-life-and-mysterious-death-of-louisiana-lt-gov-oscar-dunn/article_9dd8c2fc-3cdb-11ec-96aa-37b5e00b63b2.html"> describing Warmoth</a> as “the first Ku-Klux governor of the party he has disgraced.” Warmoth <a href="https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/political-poisoning-the-honorable-life-and-mysterious-death-of-louisiana-lt-gov-oscar-dunn/article_9dd8c2fc-3cdb-11ec-96aa-37b5e00b63b2.html">joined forces</a> with P.B.S. Pinchback, a Black political rival of Dunn’s. They colluded to <a href="https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/political-poisoning-the-honorable-life-and-mysterious-death-of-louisiana-lt-gov-oscar-dunn/article_9dd8c2fc-3cdb-11ec-96aa-37b5e00b63b2.html">tarnish Dunn’s reputation</a> by alleging corruption and scandal within his family. On<a href="https://www.hnoc.org/publications/first-draft/political-poisoning-mysterious-death-americas-first-black-lieutenant"> Nov. 19, 1871</a>, Dunn became <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/03/us/history-refocused-oscar-james-dunn-reconstruction/index.html">violently ill</a>. He was pronounced dead a few days later. He was 49. Rumors that Dunn was <a href="https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/political-poisoning-the-honorable-life-and-mysterious-death-of-louisiana-lt-gov-oscar-dunn/article_9dd8c2fc-3cdb-11ec-96aa-37b5e00b63b2.html">poisoned</a> quickly spread. A family spokesperson declined an autopsy, though a statement was published in a local newspaper claiming Dunn had died of “<a href="https://www.hnoc.org/publications/first-draft/political-poisoning-mysterious-death-americas-first-black-lieutenant">congestion of the brain and lungs</a>.” Shortly after Dunn’s death,<a href="https://www.nga.org/governor/pinckney-benton-stewart-pinchback/"> Pinchback replaced</a> him as lieutenant governor.Approximately 50,000 people lined Canal Street for the <a href="https://64parishes.org/entry/oscar-dunn-adaptation">12-block funeral procession</a> that carried Dunn from St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church to St. Louis Cemetery No 2, where he is buried. This <a target="_blank" href="https://veritenews.org/2023/11/24/this-week-in-history-oscar-james-dunn-louisianas-first-black-lieutenant-governor-dies/">article</a> first appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://veritenews.org">Verite News</a> and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<img src="https://i0.wp.com/veritenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/cropped-Verite-icon.png?fit=150%2C150&ssl=1" style="width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;"><img id="republication-tracker-tool-source" src="https://veritenews.org/?republication-pixel=true&post=10825" style="width:1px;height:1px;"> Copy to Clipboard

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