# Shack Roberts

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**Meshack R. Roberts** was an American enslaved man and later politician.[1]

## Early life

Born in [Arkansas](/source/Arkansas), his owner O. B. Roberts moved him to [Gilmer, Texas](/source/Gilmer,_Texas) in 1844. During the [American Civil War](/source/American_Civil_War), O. B. served in the [Confederate States Army](/source/Confederate_States_Army) while Roberts cared for his house and family. After the war, O. B. gave him land and material to build a log cabin. In 1867, he was whipped by members of the [Ku Klux Klan](/source/Ku_Klux_Klan), and soon moved to [Marshall](/source/Marshall,_Texas), where he worked as a blacksmith.[2]

## Career

In 1873, Roberts was elected to the [13th Legislature](/source/13th_Texas_Legislature) of the [Texas House of Representatives](/source/Texas_House_of_Representatives). A [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)) from the [5th district](/source/Texas's_5th_House_of_Representatives_district), he helped improve education of African American children. He was also noted for his sarcasm and sense of humor.[3] He was reelected for the [14th](/source/14th_Texas_Legislature) and [15th Legislatures](/source/15th_Texas_Legislature).[4] He was removed from office by the [White Citizens Parties](/source/White_Citizens_Parties). He also helped establish [Wiley University](/source/Wiley_University).[5][6]

## Legacy

He was honored by the [79th Texas Legislature](/source/79th_Texas_Legislature), along with other early African-American legislators, for their service to Texas.[7]

## See also

- [African American officeholders from the end of the Civil War until before 1900](/source/African_American_officeholders_from_the_end_of_the_Civil_War_until_before_1900)

## References

1. ["TSHA | Roberts, Meshack"](https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/roberts-meshack). *www.tshaonline.org*

1. ["Meshack Roberts Historical Marker"](https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=176525). *www.hmdb.org*. Retrieved 2024-08-10.

1. Beadle, John Hanson (1877). [*Western Wilds, and the Men who Redeem Them: An Authentic Narrative, Embracing an Account of Seven Years Travel and Adventure in the Far West; Wild Life in Arizona; Perils of the Plains; Life in the Cañon and Death on the Deseret; Thrilling Scenes and Romantic Incidents in the Lives of Western Pioneers; Adventures Among the Red and White Savages of the West; a Full Account of the Mountain Meadow Massacre; the Custer Defeat; Life and Death of Brigham Young, Etc*](https://books.google.com/books?id=jlM8AAAAMAAJ&dq=Shack+Roberts&pg=PA417). Jones Brothers. p. 417.

1. Lentz, Sallie M. (1957). ["Highlights of Early Harrison County"](https://www.jstor.org/stable/30241928). *The Southwestern Historical Quarterly*. **61** (2): 240–256. [ISSN 0038-478X](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0038-478X). [JSTOR 30241928](https://www.jstor.org/stable/30241928)

1. Association, Texas State Historical. ["Roberts, Meshack"](https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/roberts-meshack). *Texas State Historical Association*. Retrieved 2024-08-10.

1. Howell, Kenneth Wayne (2012). [*Still the Arena of Civil War: Violence and Turmoil in Reconstruction Texas, 1865-1874*](https://books.google.com/books?id=m8RMsYqB_f4C&dq=Shack+Roberts&pg=PA222). University of North Texas Press. p. 222. ISBN 978-1-57441-449-3.

1. ["Shack left his mark on East Texas"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/73857547/shack-left-his-mark-on-east-texas/). *Longview News-Journal*. 17 August 2014. pp. A2. Retrieved 19 March 2021.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Shack Roberts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shack_Roberts) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shack_Roberts?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.