By Steve Flairty
NKyTribune columnist
I recently became acquainted with the fascinating life of Robert James Harlan, born a slave in Virginia in 1816, who was purchased by James Harlan and brought to Danville to live at age 8. Robert was raised much like a son to James, whose children included John Marshall Harlan, who would grow up to be a noted Supreme Court justice known to American history as “The Great Dissenter.”
It’s amazing to me how a slave person living in the distinctly racist society of America in the early and middle 1800s navigated the treacherous waters and found significant success and social acceptance both nationally and internationally.
(Photo from Wikipedia Commons)
Robert was blessed with enormous talents, excelling in the skills of financial acuity and social adeptness, though the fact that he was light-skinned probably helped him gain some traction in an age of such widespread racial intolerance. He became both a rich individual and a highly effective politician in Ohio. He gained fame for an oration he gave on the passage of the 15th Amendment, which guaranteed protection against racial discrimination in voting.
Educated in large measure by one of James Harlan’s sons, Robert was given more freedom than was typical of slaves, and he was allowed to be trained as a barber in Louisville. He later opened a barbershop in Harrodsburg at a young age and later a grocery in Lexington. Throughout his life, he showed himself to be an adventurous and risk-taking sort; he also became quite a well-known player in the burgeoning horse racing industry, both in America and then in England. He took part in the great 1849 California Gold Rush and came away rich, accruing some $45,000 in gold (blackpast.org said $90,000, though both sums were huge for the period). Sadly, both his wife and young daughter passed away when he was away.
After returning from California, Robert moved to Cincinnati and invested in property and business, which included photography and a daguerreotype gallery. His ventures saw him travel internationally, and buying his freedom for $500 in 1858, he moved to London, England, for ten years. There, he had early success in the horse racing business but later declared bankruptcy, though fortunately, he didn’t end up in poverty.
Returning to Cincinnati, Robert Harlan made a big splash in community affairs. He became a trustee for the local black schools and the Colored Orphan Asylum. He also served as the first African American member of the Ohio Republican State Central Committee. Going forward, he gained more acclaim when, as a delegate-at-large, he was introduced by President U.S. Grant as a speaker at the Republican National Convention. Robert additionally was a delegate to the National Civil Rights Convention that met with President Grant and was asked by Grant for a private meeting. He also was appointed to the U.S. Treasury.
In The Great Dissenter: The Story of John Marshall Harlan, by Peter Canellos, much is revealed about Robert’s life. The book mentions that some think James Harlan was his biological father, though it tended to be a hushed subject around the Danville community. It noted that “Robert’s courtly manners, refined even further after nearly a decade touring Europe, gained him attention among admiring Black people and some whites as well.” When the Second Cincinnati Battalion, a Black unit of the Ohio militia, was formed to be a part of Ohio’s state militia force, Robert was asked to lead it. After initially resisting the request, “Robert agreed to lead the battalion after entreaties from the men themselves,” noted Canellos. Ironically, he was given the distinctive position despite having no military experience.
The Dissenter also presented details about the conversation Robert had with President Grant. They talked about a recent treaty with England, with Grant valuing Robert’s well-received experience there. They also discussed the racial situation and the Cincinnati Republican newspaper, the Commercial, reported that Grant said to Robert: “It is not every day that I have the pleasure of talking with someone of your race who can speak for them so well.” Canellos concluded that Robert “came away from the conversation as one of the president’s most prominent confidants in the Black community—and one of his most aggressive defenders.”
And though the life of Supreme Court Justice John Marshall Harlan will likely be most remembered of the Harlan family of the Danville area, “brother” Robert Harlan will also be recognized for his achievements, especially as he overcame barriers of societal prejudice.
Sources: The Kentucky African American Encyclopedia (U. Press of Kentucky, 2015); The Great Dissenter: The Story of John Marshall Harlan, America’s Judicial Hero (Simon & Shuster, 2021); Ohiostatehouse.org; Wikipedia; blackpast.org; africanamericanhorsestories.org; nkaa.uky.edu
