This is one of those stories that ought to be made into a movie. I'll limit it to 40 lines, but it ought to be a full hour of discussion.
Joseph Rainey was born as a slave in Georgetown, South Carolina in 1832. His dad had this unique path laid out. The father had also been a slave, but had worked up some deal where he apparently had talent as a barber. The deal was....'dad' could work independently, and a portion of his outside income went to the owner. Most historians leave out the wealth side of this story, but it's assumed that 'dad' wasn't making this as a loss. He had real money flow going on.
At some point (1840s), 'dad' had made the kind of income to go in and purchase freedom for himself, the wife, and two sons.
The father and the sons? They banded together and continued the barbering trade. True capitalists would be a good description of the three.
Around age 27, Joseph set off and went to Philly. He met up with a gal who was of West Indies heritage....marrying her. They'd return to South Carolina a year later.
On the bad luck side, this would come right as the Civil War started up, and Joseph ended up being conscripted as support for the state during the war.
About a year into this period, Joseph found the right ship....offered over the cash to get the family onboard, and left for Bermuda. What got him to the escape point? Capitalism.
There, he went back to the barber business. Five years pass. The barbering business has done well...his wife has a business-front as well. Joseph is recognized in the community (respected). He may not be 'educated' but he understands business fronts, capitalism, etc. At the end of this five year period...the war is over, and he decides to return to South Carolina. Most folks would have just been happy where they were....he wasn't.
He goes back into the barber business in Charleston. Two years pass, and he's now (1868) inside of the group who is writing the new South Carolina Constitution. Former slave, barber, entrepreneur, capitalist.....just never accepting things as they are.
1870 comes around and he's elected as a state-senator, and heads up the state finance committee.
A special election comes up in 1870 (just months after getting up for the state-senator job) and he ends being a Representative for the state....going to DC, as the first black House member.
One-term guy for the state? No. He does four terms in DC....leaving in 1879 (age 47). He'd work for two years as a federal agent for the Treasury Department, and later work within the investment/banking business.
He passed on in 1887 (age 55).
The curious thing about his life on the return to Charleston and the years in DC....he was a Republican.
It's a great story about a guy who just never accepted things as they are, and continued to pursue a better life (even as a barber).
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