Charles C. Painter
Encyclopedia
Charles C. Painter was an American abolitionist, Native American
advocate and Congregational
minister. The son of a Virginia planter who freed his slaves prior to the Civil War
, Painter served on the faculty of Fisk University
, dedicated to the education of African Americans. He was a prominent member of the Indian Rights Association
, working out of the organization's Boston office, and, with Samuel M. Brosius, had a long career as an IRA agent and lobbyist in Washington D.C.
Founded in Philadelphia
in 1882, the Indian Rights Association's stated objective was to "bring about the complete civilization of the Indians and their admission to citizenship." In 1884, the organization's founders, Herbert Welsh
and Henry Pancoast, opened an additional office in Washington D.C. to act as a legislative lobby and liaison with the Board of Indian Commissioners
and the Board of Indian Affairs in 1884. The Indian Rights Association also maintained close contacts with Indian agents and with native groups themselves through correspondence and trips to reservations and settlements. Painter made frequent trips to reservations to investigate the actions of Indian Bureau agents and to observe the living and health conditions of Native Americans.
Painter personally favored Indian citizenship and the abolition of Indian reservations. He also lobbied heavily for the institution of the Allotment policy introduced by Senator Henry L. Dawes
, and passed in 1887 as the Dawes Act
.
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
advocate and Congregational
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
minister. The son of a Virginia planter who freed his slaves prior to the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Painter served on the faculty of Fisk University
Fisk University
Fisk University is an historically black university founded in 1866 in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. The world-famous Fisk Jubilee Singers started as a group of students who performed to earn enough money to save the school at a critical time of financial shortages. They toured to raise funds to...
, dedicated to the education of African Americans. He was a prominent member of the Indian Rights Association
Indian Rights Association
The Indian Rights Association was an American social activist group dedicated to the well being and acculturation of Native Americans...
, working out of the organization's Boston office, and, with Samuel M. Brosius, had a long career as an IRA agent and lobbyist in Washington D.C.
Founded in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
in 1882, the Indian Rights Association's stated objective was to "bring about the complete civilization of the Indians and their admission to citizenship." In 1884, the organization's founders, Herbert Welsh
Herbert Welsh
Herbert Welsh was a United States political reformer and worker for Indian welfare.-Biography:He was born in Philadelphia, the son of John Welsh, a prosperous merchant...
and Henry Pancoast, opened an additional office in Washington D.C. to act as a legislative lobby and liaison with the Board of Indian Commissioners
Board of Indian Commissioners
The Board of Indian Commissioners was a committee that advised the federal government of the United States on Native American policy and it inspected supplies delivered to Indian agencies to ensure the fufillment of government treaty obligations to tribes....
and the Board of Indian Affairs in 1884. The Indian Rights Association also maintained close contacts with Indian agents and with native groups themselves through correspondence and trips to reservations and settlements. Painter made frequent trips to reservations to investigate the actions of Indian Bureau agents and to observe the living and health conditions of Native Americans.
Painter personally favored Indian citizenship and the abolition of Indian reservations. He also lobbied heavily for the institution of the Allotment policy introduced by Senator Henry L. Dawes
Henry L. Dawes
Henry Laurens Dawes was a Republican United States Senator and United States Representative, notable for the Dawes Act.-Biography:...
, and passed in 1887 as the Dawes Act
Dawes Act
The Dawes Act, adopted by Congress in 1887, authorized the President of the United States to survey Indian tribal land and divide the land into allotments for individual Indians. The Act was named for its sponsor, Senator Henry L. Dawes of Massachusetts. The Dawes Act was amended in 1891 and again...
.