Franklin D. Dancy

Franklin D. Dancy
Portrait of Dancy, c. 1880
Member of the North Carolina Senate
from the 5th district
In office
August 1, 1878 – August 5, 1880
Preceded byWilliam P. Mabson
Succeeded byW. P. Williamson
Personal details
Born1840 (1840)
Edgecombe County, North Carolina, U.S.
DiedOctober 16, 1907(1907-10-16) (aged 66–67)
Tarboro, North Carolina, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
RelationsJohn C. Dancy (brother)

Franklin D. Dancy (1840 – October 16, 1907) was a Reconstruction era blacksmith, mayor and politician who served in the North Carolina Senate.[1]

Biography

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Dancy was born enslaved and was owned by an Edgecombe County planter.[1] His brother was John C. Dancy a politician, journalist and educator.[2]

He served as the commissioner of Tarboro for two years during the Reconstruction era and then two years as the county commissioner for Edgecombe County.[1]

In 1879 he was elected to serve in the North Carolina Senate[3] and was elected as the mayor of Tarboro in 1882, being the first black mayor of that town.[4][2]

Dancy was the chairman for the Republican district executive committee from 1880 until 1882, and in 1896 he was elected as a justice of the peace.[1]

Both Dancy and his brother John are mentioned in the inscription on the historical marker at the St. Paul A.M.E. Zion Church in Tarboro.[4]

Dancy died in Tarboro on October 16, 1907.[5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Foner, Eric (August 1, 1996). Freedom's Lawmakers: A Directory of Black Officeholders During Reconstruction. LSU Press. p. 56. ISBN 978-0-8071-2082-8. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Blacks trace lineage". Rocky Mount Telegram. November 16, 2003. p. 9. Retrieved April 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. ^ "Negroes in State Legislature". The Charlotte Observer. August 18, 1929. p. 36. Retrieved April 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  4. ^ a b "St. Paul A.M.E. Zion Church Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  5. ^ "Recorder Dancy's Brother Dead". The Evening Star. No. 17189. October 17, 1907. p. 16. Retrieved August 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.