{{short description|American politician}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Monroe Baker | native_name = | native_name_lang = | alt = | caption = | order = | office = Mayor of St. Martinville, Louisiana | term_start = {{start date|1867|10}} | term_end = {{end date|1868|02}} | preceded = Pierre Gary | succeeded = A.L. Tertron | office3 = | predecessor3 = | successor3 = | constituency = | majority = | birth_date = 1821 or 1823 | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | party = | spouse = Mary L. Barrier <br> Clotide Baker | partner = | relations = | children = 12 | parents = | education = | occupation = | profession = | cabinet = | committees = | portfolio = | signature = | signature_alt = | website = | footnotes = }}
'''Monroe Baker''' (born 1821 or 1823) was an American politician who served as mayor of [[St. Martinville, Louisiana]]. He was one of the earliest, if not the first, [[African-American]] mayor in the United States.
==Biography== Baker was born in either 1821 (per the [[1870 US census]]) or 1823 (per the [[1850 US census]]) in [[St. Mary Parish, Louisiana]], and moved to [[St. Martinville, Louisiana]].<ref name=Grissom>{{Cite news|first=Ken |last= Grissom|authorlink= |title=Baker First Black Mayor |newspaper=[[Teche News]]|date=July 12, 2006 |url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108091942/teche-news/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> He is listed as a free black<ref>{{Cite news|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= Monroe Baker, Mayor of St. Martinsville, he was a Free colored before emancipation. |newspaper=[[The Weekly Iberville South]]|date= November 9, 1867 |url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25167601/monroe-baker-mayor-of-st/ |via=}}</ref> of mixed race descent, and farmer was listed as his occupation.<ref name=Grissom/>
In October 1867, [[Governor of Louisiana|Governor]] [[Benjamin Flanders]] appointed him mayor of St. Martinville after the death of Mayor Pierre Gary.<ref>"[https://www.newspapers.com/image/27276905/ Military Items]". ''The Daily Times-Picayune'' (New Orleans, Louisiana). October 28, 1867. p. 2.</ref><ref>"[https://www.newspapers.com/image/368603084/ A Colored Mayor]". ''The Weekly Iberville South'' (Plaquemine, Louisiana). November 9, 1867. p. 2.</ref> In response, an editorial printed in an [[Alexandria, Louisiana|Alexandria]] newspaper called Baker a [[nigger|slur]] and said it was unnatural for a black person to be mayor over white residents.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/image/79731433/ General Mower]". ''The Louisiana Democrat'' (Alexandria, Louisiana). November 27, 1867. p. 2.</ref> Baker served until February 1868 when A.L. Tertron succeeded him as mayor.<ref name= terton>"[https://www.newspapers.com/image/27005213/ Military Items]". ''The Times-Picayune''. February 21, 1868. p. 1.</ref>
In 1875, Baker ran in the election for the four seats for trustees of St. Martinsville; he came in fifth place.<ref>"[https://www.newspapers.com/image/326011361/ Official: Compiled Returns of an Election Held in the town of St. Martinsville]". ''New Orleans Republican''. April 15, 1875. p. 3.</ref>
In the 1870 census, Baker was listed as a "livery stable keeper", and by 1891, he was listed as "an enterprising citizen and successful planter".<ref name=Grissom/>
In 1845, he married Mary L. Barrier, and they had 12 children.<ref name=Grissom/> Sources indicate that he had a second wife named Clotide with whom he had five children, and it is surmised that he had twelve children between his two wives.<ref name=Grissom/>
==See also== * [[List of first African-American mayors]]
== References == {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Monroe}} [[Category:1820s births]] [[Category:African-American mayors in Louisiana]] [[Category:19th-century African-American politicians]] [[Category:19th-century mayors of places in Louisiana]]