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Biography · Politics & Public Life

Peter J. Carter

1845–1886

United States

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Biography

Peter Jacob Carter (May 29, 1845 – July 19, 1886) was an American Republican politician who served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, representing Northampton County from 1871 to 1879. He was one of the first African-Americans to serve in Virginia's government. He fell ill while traveling via steamboat between Norfolk and the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and died soon thereafter; the cause of his death was likely appendicitis.

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Biography text · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source checked 2026-10-13

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