John Adams Hyman

John Adams Hyman (23 July 1840–14 September 1891) was a Republican U.S. Congressman from North Carolina from 1875 to 1877.

Born a slave near Warrenton, North Carolina, Hyman was sold to a new master in Alabama in 1861 after it was discovered that he was attempting to educate himself. In twenty-five years as a slave, Hyman was sold at least eight times.^[1]

After the American Civil War and the emancipation of southern slaves, Hyman returned to North Carolina in 1865 and engaged in agricultural pursuits.

He pursued elementary studies and was a delegate to the State equal rights convention in 1865 and to the State constitutional convention in 1868. Hyman was elected to the North Carolina Senate, where he served from 1868 to 1874. In 1874, he was elected as a Republican to the 44th United States Congress and served for one term (March 4, 1875–March 3, 1877).

After unsuccessfully running for renomination to Congress in 1876, Hyman returned to agricultural pursuits. He was special deputy collector of internal revenue for the fourth district of North Carolina from July 1, 1877 to June 30, 1878. Hyman moved to Washington, D.C. after he was accused of misappropriating church funds and faced the disapproval of fellow church members over his operation of a liquor store. He worked for the United States Postal Service and for the United States Department of Agriculture in Washington, where he died on September 14, 1891. Hyman, who left a wife and four children, is buried in Harmony Cemetery.

References

• John Adams Hyman at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress Retrieved on 2009-04-26
• Littleton Observer: Hyman rose from slavery to serve in U.S. Congress
• North Carolina Historical Marker