Skip to content
Black HistoryCollector
SearchSupport the collection

Biography · Politics & Public Life

Joseph R. Holmes

Biography

United States

BIOGRAPHYPortrait not availableExplore the life, work and source references.
Visit the source record ↗

Biography

Joseph R. Holmes (c. 1838-May 3, 1869) was a former slave who worked as a shoemaker, and after being emancipated during the American Civil War became a farmer and politician in Charlotte County, Virginia. Elected to the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1868, he was murdered outside the Charlotte County Courthouse for his political activities.

Explore Wikipedia contributors ↗

Sources & collection details

Wikipedia contributors — original record ↗

Black heritage reference ↗

Biography text · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source checked 2026-10-13

Continue exploring Series 1

Slavery, Resistance & Freedom →Civil Rights & Public Life →

Explore all Series 1 cards →