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From the Western Reserve Historical Society

John Patterson Green was the first black man to be elected to public office in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1873 he was elected a justice of the peace on the Republican ticket, a minor political office now, but one of considerable importance then. Because he served faithfully, the voters returned him to that office until 1882 when he was elected to the state legislature. In 1888 he was again elected to the legislature, and in 1892 he was elevated to the state senate. Because of his ability as a campaign orator, Green's services were in demand in every presidential campaign after 1872. In 1928, at the age of 84, he spoke in Chicago on "The Relation of Negroes to the Republican Party."

His papers include personal and business correspondence, legal papers, speeches, financial accounts, receipts, newspaper clippings, invitations, and programs, The bulk of the collection consists of Green's correspondence with Republican leaders and his activities as a speaker at political meetings. Correspondents including George A. Myers, William Monroe Trotter, Charles Waddell Chestnutt, and T. Thomas Fortune, among others. Subjects referred to in these letters include the following: financial aid to Wilberforce University, travels in Europe, appointment to the position of postage stamp agent in Washington, D.C., and the conditions imposed on southern Blacks.

Number of reels: 6

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