Representative George Washington Murray

George Washington Murray served as a Representative from South Carolina in the United States Congress from 1893 to 1897. A member of the Republican Party, George Washington Murray contributed to the legislative process during 2 terms in office.

George Washington Murray’s service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history. As a member of the House of Representatives, George Washington Murray participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of constituents.

George Washington Murray (September 22, 1853 – April 21, 1926) was an American politician, teacher, and farmer. After serving as chairman of the Sumter County Republican Party, Murray was elected in the 1890s as a United States congressman from South Carolina. He was the only black member in the 53rd and 54th Congresses. Because South Carolina passed a constitution in 1895 that effectively disenfranchised blacks and crippled the Republican Party, Murray was the last Republican elected in the state for nearly 100 years. The next Republican, elected in 1980, was the result of a realignment of voters and parties. In 1905, Murray was convicted of forgery in what he said was a discriminatory trial (with an all-white jury) and sentenced to three years’ hard labor. He left the state and moved to Chicago. In 1915 he was pardoned in this case by the South Carolina governor, Coleman Blease. In Chicago, Murray again became active in the Republican Party. He lectured on race relations and his political career, and published two collections of his speeches. He died of a stroke on April 21, 1926.