Biography · Politics & Public Life
Matthew Gaines
1840–1900
United States
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Biography
Matthew Gaines (August 4, 1840 – June 11, 1900) was a former slave, community leader, minister, and Republican Texas state senator during the Reconstruction era. As one of the first two African American state senators ever elected in Texas alongside George Ruby, he advocated for free public education, civil rights, and economic opportunity for newly emancipated black Texans.
Sources & collection details
Wikipedia contributors — original record ↗
Biography text · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source checked 2026-10-13
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