Matthew Gaines

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Matthew Gaines was a former slave, community leader, minister, and Republican State Senator. He made valuable contributions towards the establishment of free public education in the state of Texas.

[edit] Former Slave

Matthew Gaines was born on August 4, 1840 near Alexandria, Lousiniana to a female slave owned by Martin Despallier. Gaines taught himself how to read from smuggled books. After being sold from the Despallier family, he ran from his new owner in Louisiana to Arkansas, and eventually made his way to New Orleans, where he was captured and returned to his master. In 1859, Gaines was sold to Christopher Columbus Hearne, where he remained until 1863 when he tried to flee to Mexco. He was caught again and was forced to work as a runaway slave in Fredericksburg until the end of the war. After the emancipation, Gaines settled in Washington County, where he established himself as a leader of the freedmen, both as a Baptist preacher and a politician.

[edit] Republican State Senator

In 1869, Gaines was elected as a Senator of the 16th district in the state legislature. He gained a reputation for being a guardian of the newly won rights of the African-Texans. Throughout his term, he addressed the issues of public education, prison reform, the protection of black voters, and tenant farming reformation. Gaines passionately and unflaggingly supported the forward movement that established the first public school system for all Texans and assisted in allowing Texas to take advantage of the federal Grant College Act, also known as the Morrill Act.

In 1870, Gaines played a strategic role in passing the Militia Bill, which created a state police force to combat lawlessness and to protect against voter intimidation. Even though his actions were sincere, Senator Gaines was generally a threat to the Democrats and even some Republicans found him troublesome. Gaines was elected to a six-year term to the Senate, but he only served four years. His seat was challenged when he was convicted of the charge of bigamy. He was removed from office despite the fact that the charge was overturned. In 1875, he was arrested for making a civil rights speech in Giddings. He told his audience that "in the eyes of God, blacks are as good as whites; they should have pride and hold their heads up even in troubled times." Gaines continued to he active in politics and made his political views known in conventions, public gatherings, and from his pulpit. He died in Giddings, Texas, on June 11, 1900.