Thomas Jefferson Morgan
Thomas Jefferson Morgan was an American Brevet Brigadier General during the American Civil War. He commanded the 14th United States Colored Infantry Regiment throughout the middle and end of the war. Later on, he became a prominent member of the Rochester Theological Seminary and would go on to be a prominent teaching figure across the United States. His works were renowned across the education world and managed to become vice president of the National Education Association from 1887 to 1889 and the Commissioner of Indian Affairs from 1889 to 1893.
Thomas Jefferson Morgan | |
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| Commissioner of Indian Affairs | |
| In office 1889–1893 | |
| President | Benjamin Harrison |
| Preceded by | John H. Oberly |
| Succeeded by | Daniel M. Browning |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 17, 1839 Franklin, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died | July 13, 1902 (aged 62) Ossining, New York, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Franklin College |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States (Union) |
| Branch | United States Army (Union Army) |
| Years of service | 1861 1862 – 1865 |
| Rank | Colonel Bvt. Brigadier General |
| Unit | 7th Indiana Infantry Regiment |
| Commands | 14th United States Colored Infantry Regiment |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
American Civil War
Thomas was born on August 17, 1839, at Franklin, Indiana. After graduating from the college, Morgan immediately enlisted in the 7th Indiana Infantry Regiment for around three months before his tenure expired and temporarily became a teacher at Atlanta, Illinois.
Morgan re-enlisted in the Union Army on August 1, 1862, as a First Lieutenant of the 70th Indiana Infantry Regiment but then organized to be the Lieutenant Colonel of the 14th United States Colored Infantry Regiment on November 1, 1863.[1] After being promoted to Colonel on New Years of 1864, he organized 2 other regiments took command of the First Colored Brigade of the Army of the Cumberland. He went on to participate at the Atlanta campaign as well as the Battle of Nashville while being in the general staff of Oliver Otis Howard.
Morgan was brevetted Brigadier General on March 13, 1865, before resigning on April 1, 1865.[1]
Post-War Career
After the war, Morgan attended the Rochester Theological Seminary. In 1869, he was made Baptist minister and served as the Corresponding Secretary for the New York Union for Ministerial Union and became a pastor at Brownville, Nebraska in the following year.[2] In 1872, he became the principal of the Nebraska State Normal School before later on, took similar positions at the Potsdam Normal School and the Rhode Island State Normal School.[2][3] After the election of Benjamin Harrison, Morgan was a member of the Anti-Catholic League for the Protection of American Institutions and for the remaining years of his life, advocated for the American Protective Association.[2] Around the time of Harrison's presidency, Morgan was made the Commissioner of Indian Affairs in 1889 in order to promote education within Native Americans as Morgan had previous experience within the National Education Association as he frequently attended their meetings and became vice president from 1887 to 1889.[3] Morgan viewed education on Native Americans as an easy way for them to fit into society and that the system itself can be improved with one generation.[4] Morgan was also an advocate for Chinese immigration in the United States, actively protesting the legislation for discriminating against Chinese immigrants.[5] He resigned in 1893 to become the secretary of the Home Mission society as well as founding the Delta Chapter of Phi Delta Theta fraternity in Franklin College. After his death on July 13, 1902, he was buried at Mount Hope Cemetery, Rochester, New York.
References
- "American Civil War Database". Civil War Data. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
- "Anti-Catholicism, Indian Education and Thomas Jefferson Morgan, Commissioner of Indian Affairs: Canadian Journal of History". University of Toronto Press. doi:10.3138/cjh.23.2.213. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
- Francis Paul Prucha (January 1, 1995). The Great Father: The United States Government and the American Indians. Vol. 1. University of Nebraska Press. p. 701. ISBN 0803287348. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
- Jacqueline Fear-Segal (January 1, 2007). White Man's Club: Schools, Race, and the Struggle of Indian Acculturation. University of Nebraska Press. p. 74. ISBN 978-0803220249.
- Jon Reyhner; Jeanne Eder (January 7, 2015). American Indian Education: A History. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 978-0806148854. Retrieved May 15, 2022.