President Lincoln’s Meetings with African Americans

Lincoln not only greeted African American callers at White House receptions cordially and respectfully, as described in the previous issue of this journal, but he also showed no aversion to receiving individual black callers and listening attentively to their requests, opinions, and appeals. Before the Civil War. presidents had invited blacks lo call at the White House on only two known occasions. The first occurred when James Madison met with Paul CufTe. a wealthy black merchant and shipbuilder in 1812. The second occurred 30 years later, when John Tyler invited Bishop Daniel Payne of the African Methodist Episcopal Church to preach a funeral sermon for the president's body servant. If Bishop Payne was the second known black man to be hosted at the White House, on April 14,1862, he became the first such caller during Lincoln's administration. Two days earlier, Congress had passed a bill, then awaiting his signature, abolishing slavery in the District of Columbia. Lincoln, who had been conversing with Illinois Congressman Elihu W Ashburne when the bishop sent in his card, met Payne at the office door, shook his hand, and led him to a seat by the fireplace, near the congressman. They were soon joined by Carl Schurz, recently returned from Madrid, where he had been serving as America's minister to the Spanish court.