Moses Young

Moses Young was an African American soldier and politician during the Reconstruction era and late 19th century. Born into slavery, he served with distinction in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Following the war, he became a significant political figure in North Carolina, serving in the North Carolina House of Representatives and advocating for the rights of freedmen. His life exemplifies the transition from enslavement to civic leadership in the post-war American South.

Early life and education

Moses Young was born into slavery around 1844 in Perquimans County, North Carolina. Little is documented about his early life and family under the antebellum system. The outbreak of the American Civil War and the subsequent arrival of Union forces in coastal North Carolina presented an opportunity for escape. Like many enslaved people, Young sought freedom behind Union lines, a movement that accelerated after the Emancipation Proclamation. This path led directly to his enlistment in the military, which provided his first formal structure of education and advancement.

Military career

In 1863, Young enlisted in the Union Army at New Bern, North Carolina, a key Union-held port. He was mustered into Company B of the 2nd United States Colored Cavalry, a regiment composed of formerly enslaved men. His unit saw action in various campaigns in Virginia and North Carolina, participating in the critical sieges of Petersburg and Richmond. The service of the United States Colored Troops was vital to the Union war effort and demonstrated the commitment of African Americans to securing their own freedom. Young was honorably discharged in 1866 at Brazos Santiago, Texas, having achieved the rank of Sergeant.

Political career

After the war, Young returned to Perquimans County. During the Reconstruction era, he became actively involved in Republican Party politics, which championed the rights of newly freed African Americans. In 1868, he was elected as a Republican to the North Carolina House of Representatives, representing Perquimans County in the state's first biracial legislature under the new state constitution. In the North Carolina General Assembly, he worked on legislation related to public education and civil rights. His political career, however, was curtailed by the rise of violent paramilitary groups like the Red Shirts and the eventual end of federal enforcement of Reconstruction policies, leading to the disfranchisement of African American voters.

Later life and death

Following the Compromise of 1877 and the withdrawal of federal troops from the South, Moses Young's political influence waned as Jim Crow laws began to be enacted. He largely retired from public office and returned to agricultural life in Perquimans County. Census records indicate he worked as a farmer and remained a respected community figure. Moses Young died in 1914. His passing occurred during the era of institutionalized segregation, a stark contrast to the promise of the Reconstruction period in which he had been a leader.

Legacy

Moses Young's life is a poignant narrative of the journey from slavery to soldier to statesman. He is remembered as part of the first generation of African-American officeholders in the South following the Civil War. Historical recognition of figures like Young has grown through the work of scholars studying Reconstruction and the contributions of the United States Colored Troops. His story is featured in archives at the North Carolina Museum of History and is part of the broader historical reckoning with this transformative period in American history.

Category:1844 births Category:1914 deaths Category:American Civil War soldiers Category:North Carolina Republicans Category:North Carolina state representatives Category:African-American state legislators in North Carolina Category:People from Perquimans County, North Carolina Category:Union Army soldiers