{"id":12066,"date":"2020-07-29T09:51:40","date_gmt":"2020-07-29T14:51:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/?p=12066"},"modified":"2020-07-29T09:51:42","modified_gmt":"2020-07-29T14:51:42","slug":"davenporters-of-note-albert-nuckols","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/2020\/07\/29\/davenporters-of-note-albert-nuckols\/","title":{"rendered":"Davenporters of Note: Albert Nuckols"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Of the many tributes to U.S. Representative and civil rights leader John Lewis appearing since his death, particularly moving is the video clip<\/a> Henry Louis Gates, Jr. posted from his \u201cFinding Your Roots\u201d television program, in which Lewis tearfully reacts to the sight of his great-great grandfather\u2019s name on the 1867 Alabama voter registration rolls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This reminder of the promises of Reconstruction amidst the current examination of the roots of systemic anti-Black racism prompts our curiosity about the political activities of the formerly enslaved persons and free Blacks living in Davenport in the years following the Civil War. One Albert Nuckols persistently exercised his right to participate in the political process, despite tepid support from the white community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPrince Albert\u201d as Nuckols was known, arrived in Davenport in 1854 with his wife, daughter, and George L. Nickolls, son of his former master. Nuckols had just purchased his and his wife\u2019s freedom from R.C. Nickolls while serving the family in Franklin County, Missouri. He worked as a bill-poster, whitewasher, and janitor from room 12 on the corner of Brady and 2nd Streets, the \u201cNickolls Block,\u201d until his death in 1889. He was recognized as a leader of the African-American community, nearly always called upon to speak at the celebrations<\/a> commemorating the Emancipation Proclamation. In 1865, he organized an event with a purpose: \u201cAlbert has determined upon a Festival at LeClaire Hall, on Monday evening January 1st, for the purpose of raising funds to alleviate, in a measure, the sufferings of his people.\u201d (1)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Nuckols\u2019 participation in civic life included experience with legal proceedings: a suit against him for payment of rent money was decided in his favor, and he won a replevin suit against another man in the August 1860 court term. (2) In 1868, he was part of an effort to defend the rights of four Blacks who had been refused service by the \u201caristocratic gentlemen of color\u201d who owned the Delmonico restaurant on West 2nd St. (3) Nuckols, his friend J.H. Warwick of Davenport, and Alexander Clark of Muscatine were the first African Americans to serve as jurors in the state of Iowa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was the \u201cParty of Lincoln,\u201d the Republicans, that had Nuckols\u2019 support. In September 1869, he was named a Scott County delegate to the state convention in Des Moines alongside fellow \u201ccolored citizen,\u201d Henry Simons. Simons, a barber, was included without controversy, but when Captain J. W. Pearman suggested Nuckols in place of John Hornby, the committee on credentials\u2019 leader George H. French reportedly \u201ccouldn\u2019t swallow two n—-rs.\u201d (4) Nuckols\u2019 departure on the train to Des Moines was news, the Democrat calling him \u201c…the acknowledged leader of the Republican colored delegation to the State Convention and the most polished gentleman and accomplished speaker of the entire delegation…\u201d (5)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In July of 1872, Nuckols spoke passionately in support of Ulysses S. Grant\u2019s second term as President to an assembly of Republicans. \u201cAlbert really made the best speech of the evening, and was cheered,\u201d said the editors of the Democrat<\/em>. The article disparaged the local party and its meeting, so they also characterized Nuckols\u2019 invitation to speak as the Republicans\u2019 \u201clast resort.\u201d (6)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Albert Nuckols was the only African American candidate for Representative at the Republican county convention (Scott) in September 1873, (7) and one of two (the other was his friend, hairdresser and wig-maker John H. Warwick) for Scott County Treasurer in October 1875. (8) Nuckols received no votes in the first contest, and he and Warwick received just one vote each in the second. Nevertheless, Nuckols remained active. He was present the following year at a gathering of \u201cIndependent\u201d Republicans, traditional Democrats (many German immigrants) favoring Rutherford B. Hayes as President over their own party\u2019s candidate, Samuel J. Tilden. While \u201c[l]oud calls were made for Albert Nuckolls\u201d to speak, meeting chairman and Der Demokrat<\/em> editor Henry Lischer \u201c…was evidently not prepared to go this far, and made arrangements to have an adjournment before Albert could have a chance to talk.\u201d (9)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Albert Nuckols remained in the public eye through the late 1870s and 1880s: He managed and addressed various Emancipation celebrations, and in 1877 he debated another local \u201ccolored orator,\u201d Emanuel Franklin, on the topic of Masonry versus Christianity in a much-anticipated and well-attended spectacle. (10). He was invited to the pulpit at the African Methodist Church in Davenport to deliver the \u201cCentral Attraction of the 19th Century,\u201d his 1886 discourse (possibly printed) on the life of Jesus Christ.\u00a0(11) He spoke in support of a Kirkwood governorship in Iowa later that same year. (12) Just months before his death, \u201c\u2018Prince Albert\u2019 Nuckels, the colored Republican, made a brief, forcible address on the enslaved condition of the Republican ballot at the South\u201d at a county gathering, the \u201cRepublicans\u2019 Last Charge,\u201d according to the Daily Times<\/em> of November 6, 1888.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Newspaper obituaries admired the way Albert Nuckols had led his life as a citizen of Davenport. He was \u201chighly esteemed by all classes\u201d said the Gazette<\/em>; \u201c…a well-known and popular citizen…a gentleman always in demeanor and in language,\u201d said the Morning Democrat<\/em>. Perhaps the most substantive praise was offered by the Weekly Republican<\/em>, who noted that despite a lack of educational opportunities, Nuckols had \u201c…instructed himself in a greater or less degree, and was posted on political and religious subjects.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(posted by Katie)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

___________________________________________________________<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1) Daily Davenport Democrat<\/em>, December 29, 1865<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2) Daily Democrat and News<\/em>, August 20 and 22, 1860<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3) Daily Davenport Democra<\/em>t, November 9, 1868<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4) Daily Davenport Democrat<\/em>, June 5, 1869<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5) Daily Davenport Democrat<\/em>, June 10, 1869<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6) Davenport Daily Democrat<\/em>, July 27, 1872<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7) Davenport Daily Democra<\/em>t, September 10, 1873<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8) Davenport Daily Democrat<\/em>, October 19, 1875<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9) Davenport Democrat<\/em>, September 9, 1876<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10) Davenport Democrat<\/em>, January 6, 10, and 11, 1877<\/p>\n\n\n\n

11) Davenport Democrat<\/em>, March 16, 1886<\/p>\n\n\n\n

12) Davenport Democrat<\/em>, September 12, 1886<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Obituaries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Davenport Democrat-Gazette<\/em>, February 1, 1889<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Davenport Morning Democrat<\/em>, January 31, 1889Davenport Weekly Republican<\/em>, February 2, 1889\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Of the many tributes to U.S. Representative and civil rights leader John Lewis appearing since his death, particularly moving is the video clip Henry Louis Gates, Jr. posted from his \u201cFinding Your Roots\u201d television program, in which Lewis tearfully reacts … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12066","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-local-history"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pd0CXc-38C","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12066","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12066"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12066\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12070,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12066\/revisions\/12070"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12066"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12066"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12066"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}