Anselm Joseph McLaurin (March 26, 1848December 22, 1909) was the 34th

Governor of Mississippi A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

, serving from 1896 to 1900.

Life and career

McLaurin was born on March 26, 1848, in

Brandon, Mississippi Brandon is a city in and the county seat of Rankin County, Mississippi, United States. It was incorporated on December 19, 1831. The population was 21,705 at the 2010 census. Brandon is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is l ...

, the son of Ellen Caroline (Tullus) and Lauchlin McLaurin III. He married Laura Elvira Rauch and had a daughter, Stella May McLaurin. He became district attorney at age 21 and was described as "one of the foremost lawyers in the State". He participated in the convention for the writing of the

Mississippi Constitution The Constitution of Mississippi is the primary organizing law for the U.S. state of Mississippi delineating the duties, powers, structures, and functions of the state government. Mississippi's original constitution was adopted at a constituti ...

in 1890 and was described as a free-coinage man. A Democrat, as were most whites in the South through the mid-twentieth century, McLaurin was elected by the state legislature to the

U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

, serving from 1894 to 1895. He was the first

to be elected under the

of 1890, which disenfranchised most blacks by raising barriers to voter registration. These changes essentially ended the competitiveness of the Republican Party in the state, as well as severely weakening the Populist Party. The last Confederate veteran elected as governor, McLaurin won the 1895 election, defeating

Populist Populism refers to a range of political stances that emphasize the idea of "the people" and often juxtapose this group against " the elite". It is frequently associated with anti-establishment and anti-political sentiment. The term develope ...

Frank Burkitt Benjamin Franklin Burkitt (July 5, 1843 – November 8, 1914) was an American newspaper editor and politician from the state of Mississippi. Biography Burkitt was born in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee in 1843 to Henry Lemuel Burkett and Louise Ho ...

. He served from 1896 to 1900. At Hazlehurst in 1898 the Governor explained in a speech that one of the causes of the depleted state treasury was inadequate taxation of the railroad corporations. In October 1898 McLaurin traveled by train to

Forest, Mississippi Forest is a city and the county seat of Scott County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 5,684 at the 2010 census and the population is a minority-majority. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total a ...

, after white rioting in nearby Harperville."Fierce Race War in Mississippi"
''San Francisco Call,'' Volume 84, Number 146, 24 October 1898; California Digital Newspaper Collection; accessed 19 March 2017 Blacks had resisted the arrest of one of their community, killing one white man. A mob of whites quickly gathered, killing nine blacks by the next day. The county sheriff and a posse arrested some blacks, while the white mob continued to kill blacks on sight. The ''New Orleans Picayune'' said that 11 black men were killed and one white. The sheriff took several black men under armed guard to

Meridian, Mississippi Meridian is the seventh largest city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, with a population of 41,148 at the 2010 census and an estimated population in 2018 of 36,347. It is the county seat of Lauderdale County and the principal city of the Meri ...

, to protect them from the white mobs in Forest.Associated Press, "Mississippi Race War/ Counting Its Victims by the Dozen"
''Los Angeles Herald,'' Volume 26, Number 25, 25 October 1898; California Digital Newspaper Collection; accessed 20 March 2017 McLaurin returned to the US Senate in 1901 after being elected by the state legislature to that seat in 1900; he was re-elected January 19, 1904. He died of

heart disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, ...

at age 61 on December 22, 1909, at his home in

. He was sitting in a rocking chair in front of his fireplace.

Legacy

A great-great-grandson of McLaurin was actor and comedian

Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and comed ...

, who was given McLaurin as his middle name.

References

External links

*
Anselm J. McLaurin, late a senator from Mississippi, Memorial addresses delivered in the House of Representatives and Senate frontispiece 1911
{{DEFAULTSORT:McLaurin, Anselm J. 1848 births 1909 deaths American people of Scottish descent Confederate States Army soldiers District attorneys in Mississippi Democratic Party governors of Mississippi Democratic Party United States senators from Mississippi People from Brandon, Mississippi Robin Williams

Life and career

Legacy

See also

References

External links