African American elected to the U.S. Congress from Louisiana in 1868, but denied his seat due to an unresolved election challenge by his opponent. Prior to his election, he had worked in Washington with the Department of the Interior and subsequently moved to New Orleans where he served as inspector of customs and commissioner of streets. He had also published a newspaper, The Free South, later named The Radical Standard. He moved to Jacksonville, Florida in 1871 and published the Island City News. By 1880, he had moved back to Washington and was working for the Treasury Department.
He was married to Elizabeth M., born 1846 in Jamaica and they had at least three children: Alice, born 1863 in Canada; Willis, born 1866 in Jamaica; and Marie, born 1871 in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. They appear in the 1880 Federal Census of the District of Columbia, living at 615 3rd Street NW. The household included: John W. Menard, age 44, born in Illinois to parents from Illinois, a clerk with the treasury department; Elilzabeth M, age 34, born in Jamaica; Alice, age 17, born in Canada; Wissis T, age 14, born in Jamaica; Marie J., age 9, born in St Thomas; and two boarders.
John also appears in the 1880 Federal Census of Key West, Monroe County, Florida, as a married man, living without his family as a boarder at 8 St Thomas Street, and working as an editor.
βΌDuring the Civil War (1861-65) he served as a clerk in the U.S. Department of the Interior. In 1865 he moved to New Orleans, where he became active in the Republican Party, serving as inspector of customs and later as a commissioner of streets.
He also published a newspaper, The Free South, later named The Radical Standard. Elected to Congress from Louisiana in 1868 to fill an unexpired term, Menard failed to overcome an election challenge by the loser, and Congress refused to seat either man. In 1871 he moved to Florida, where he was again active in the Republican Party and published the Island City News in Jacksonville.
John Willis Menard was also a native of Kaskaskia, Illinois. Born there on April 3, 1838, Menard spent his first eighteen years in the small historic village.
The details of John Willis Menard's early life in Illinois remain sketchy. He was not a slave; some sources describe him as a mulatto--that is, part white. Both of Menard's parents, said to be of "French Creole" origins, were born in Illinois.
The family seems to have had ties to New Orleans as well. It is believed Menard spent his adolescence at work on a farm in or around Kaskaskia before attending an abolitionist school in Sparta, Illinois. He later studied at Iberia College in Ohio. Although he never received a degree, Menard's brief education laid the groundwork for a career as a person of color political leader and writer.
Throughout his life, Menard was very active in promoting civil rights for African Americans. In 1859, at the age of twenty-one, he spoke in Springfield, Illinois at a celebration to mark the end of slavery in the West Indies.
Menard's address to the crowd at the State Fairgrounds on the subject of American Slavery was covered in the Illinois State Journal which stated that Menard "gave able remarks in defense of Liberty and equality. His speech was truly the best of the day."
http://www.frenchcreoles.com/CreoleCulture/famouscreoles/johnwillismenard/johnwillismenard.htm
He was married to Elizabeth M., born 1846 in Jamaica and they had at least three children: Alice, born 1863 in Canada; Willis, born 1866 in Jamaica; and Marie, born 1871 in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. They appear in the 1880 Federal Census of the District of Columbia, living at 615 3rd Street NW. The household included: John W. Menard, age 44, born in Illinois to parents from Illinois, a clerk with the treasury department; Elilzabeth M, age 34, born in Jamaica; Alice, age 17, born in Canada; Wissis T, age 14, born in Jamaica; Marie J., age 9, born in St Thomas; and two boarders.
John also appears in the 1880 Federal Census of Key West, Monroe County, Florida, as a married man, living without his family as a boarder at 8 St Thomas Street, and working as an editor.
βΌDuring the Civil War (1861-65) he served as a clerk in the U.S. Department of the Interior. In 1865 he moved to New Orleans, where he became active in the Republican Party, serving as inspector of customs and later as a commissioner of streets.
He also published a newspaper, The Free South, later named The Radical Standard. Elected to Congress from Louisiana in 1868 to fill an unexpired term, Menard failed to overcome an election challenge by the loser, and Congress refused to seat either man. In 1871 he moved to Florida, where he was again active in the Republican Party and published the Island City News in Jacksonville.
John Willis Menard was also a native of Kaskaskia, Illinois. Born there on April 3, 1838, Menard spent his first eighteen years in the small historic village.
The details of John Willis Menard's early life in Illinois remain sketchy. He was not a slave; some sources describe him as a mulatto--that is, part white. Both of Menard's parents, said to be of "French Creole" origins, were born in Illinois.
The family seems to have had ties to New Orleans as well. It is believed Menard spent his adolescence at work on a farm in or around Kaskaskia before attending an abolitionist school in Sparta, Illinois. He later studied at Iberia College in Ohio. Although he never received a degree, Menard's brief education laid the groundwork for a career as a person of color political leader and writer.
Throughout his life, Menard was very active in promoting civil rights for African Americans. In 1859, at the age of twenty-one, he spoke in Springfield, Illinois at a celebration to mark the end of slavery in the West Indies.
Menard's address to the crowd at the State Fairgrounds on the subject of American Slavery was covered in the Illinois State Journal which stated that Menard "gave able remarks in defense of Liberty and equality. His speech was truly the best of the day."
http://www.frenchcreoles.com/CreoleCulture/famouscreoles/johnwillismenard/johnwillismenard.htm
African American elected to the U.S. Congress from Louisiana in 1868, but denied his seat due to an unresolved election challenge by his opponent. Prior to his election, he had worked in Washington with the Department of the Interior and subsequently moved to New Orleans where he served as inspector of customs and commissioner of streets. He had also published a newspaper, The Free South, later named The Radical Standard. He moved to Jacksonville, Florida in 1871 and published the Island City News. By 1880, he had moved back to Washington and was working for the Treasury Department.
He was married to Elizabeth M., born 1846 in Jamaica and they had at least three children: Alice, born 1863 in Canada; Willis, born 1866 in Jamaica; and Marie, born 1871 in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. They appear in the 1880 Federal Census of the District of Columbia, living at 615 3rd Street NW. The household included: John W. Menard, age 44, born in Illinois to parents from Illinois, a clerk with the treasury department; Elilzabeth M, age 34, born in Jamaica; Alice, age 17, born in Canada; Wissis T, age 14, born in Jamaica; Marie J., age 9, born in St Thomas; and two boarders.
John also appears in the 1880 Federal Census of Key West, Monroe County, Florida, as a married man, living without his family as a boarder at 8 St Thomas Street, and working as an editor.
βΌDuring the Civil War (1861-65) he served as a clerk in the U.S. Department of the Interior. In 1865 he moved to New Orleans, where he became active in the Republican Party, serving as inspector of customs and later as a commissioner of streets.
He also published a newspaper, The Free South, later named The Radical Standard. Elected to Congress from Louisiana in 1868 to fill an unexpired term, Menard failed to overcome an election challenge by the loser, and Congress refused to seat either man. In 1871 he moved to Florida, where he was again active in the Republican Party and published the Island City News in Jacksonville.
John Willis Menard was also a native of Kaskaskia, Illinois. Born there on April 3, 1838, Menard spent his first eighteen years in the small historic village.
The details of John Willis Menard's early life in Illinois remain sketchy. He was not a slave; some sources describe him as a mulatto--that is, part white. Both of Menard's parents, said to be of "French Creole" origins, were born in Illinois.
The family seems to have had ties to New Orleans as well. It is believed Menard spent his adolescence at work on a farm in or around Kaskaskia before attending an abolitionist school in Sparta, Illinois. He later studied at Iberia College in Ohio. Although he never received a degree, Menard's brief education laid the groundwork for a career as a person of color political leader and writer.
Throughout his life, Menard was very active in promoting civil rights for African Americans. In 1859, at the age of twenty-one, he spoke in Springfield, Illinois at a celebration to mark the end of slavery in the West Indies.
Menard's address to the crowd at the State Fairgrounds on the subject of American Slavery was covered in the Illinois State Journal which stated that Menard "gave able remarks in defense of Liberty and equality. His speech was truly the best of the day."
http://www.frenchcreoles.com/CreoleCulture/famouscreoles/johnwillismenard/johnwillismenard.htm
He was married to Elizabeth M., born 1846 in Jamaica and they had at least three children: Alice, born 1863 in Canada; Willis, born 1866 in Jamaica; and Marie, born 1871 in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. They appear in the 1880 Federal Census of the District of Columbia, living at 615 3rd Street NW. The household included: John W. Menard, age 44, born in Illinois to parents from Illinois, a clerk with the treasury department; Elilzabeth M, age 34, born in Jamaica; Alice, age 17, born in Canada; Wissis T, age 14, born in Jamaica; Marie J., age 9, born in St Thomas; and two boarders.
John also appears in the 1880 Federal Census of Key West, Monroe County, Florida, as a married man, living without his family as a boarder at 8 St Thomas Street, and working as an editor.
βΌDuring the Civil War (1861-65) he served as a clerk in the U.S. Department of the Interior. In 1865 he moved to New Orleans, where he became active in the Republican Party, serving as inspector of customs and later as a commissioner of streets.
He also published a newspaper, The Free South, later named The Radical Standard. Elected to Congress from Louisiana in 1868 to fill an unexpired term, Menard failed to overcome an election challenge by the loser, and Congress refused to seat either man. In 1871 he moved to Florida, where he was again active in the Republican Party and published the Island City News in Jacksonville.
John Willis Menard was also a native of Kaskaskia, Illinois. Born there on April 3, 1838, Menard spent his first eighteen years in the small historic village.
The details of John Willis Menard's early life in Illinois remain sketchy. He was not a slave; some sources describe him as a mulatto--that is, part white. Both of Menard's parents, said to be of "French Creole" origins, were born in Illinois.
The family seems to have had ties to New Orleans as well. It is believed Menard spent his adolescence at work on a farm in or around Kaskaskia before attending an abolitionist school in Sparta, Illinois. He later studied at Iberia College in Ohio. Although he never received a degree, Menard's brief education laid the groundwork for a career as a person of color political leader and writer.
Throughout his life, Menard was very active in promoting civil rights for African Americans. In 1859, at the age of twenty-one, he spoke in Springfield, Illinois at a celebration to mark the end of slavery in the West Indies.
Menard's address to the crowd at the State Fairgrounds on the subject of American Slavery was covered in the Illinois State Journal which stated that Menard "gave able remarks in defense of Liberty and equality. His speech was truly the best of the day."
http://www.frenchcreoles.com/CreoleCulture/famouscreoles/johnwillismenard/johnwillismenard.htm
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