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A Native American Leader Who Enlisted in the Union Army Has Been Posthumously Admitted to the New York Bar After 176 Years | News Channel 3-12
Ely Samuel Parker was denied bar admission due to citizenship laws but is now honored as the first Native American posthumously admitted, correcting a 176-year-old injustice.
- On Friday, the New York Supreme Court Appellate Division, Fourth Department posthumously admitted Ely Samuel Parker to the New York State Bar in a ceremonial courtroom in downtown Buffalo, 176 years after he was denied because Native Americans were not considered U.S. citizens.
- New York's citizenship rules barred his admission in his lifetime, since only natural-born or naturalized citizens could be admitted, and William H. Seward, U.S. Secretary of State, rejected his enlistment while his petition to U.S. Congress for citizenship failed.
- By age 21 Ely Samuel Parker was well-educated and steeped in law after starting studies at 18, serving as Ulysses S. Grant's military secretary, drafting Appomattox surrender terms, and becoming Commissioner of Indian Affairs.
- The court's action officially recognizes Parker's qualifications while placing the admission in the context of rare posthumous bar entries, making him the first Native American and eighth overall in U.S. legal history, Judge Gerald Whalen said.
- The push to admit Parker began in 2020 when retired Justice John Browning approached Alvin Parker, the Friday ceremony opened with a Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving address, and organizers said it restores Parker's legacy.
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Seneca Soldier and Statesman Can Finally Add Lawyer to His Legacy
Ely Samuel Parker, a Native American who served as an aide to Ulysses S. Grant during the Civil War, was kept from practicing law during his lifetime. Source: New York Times The post Seneca Soldier and Statesman Can Finally Add Lawyer to His Legacy first appeared on The New Yorkian.
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Total News Sources12
Leaning Left1Leaning Right0Center8Last UpdatedBias Distribution89% Center
Bias Distribution
- 89% of the sources are Center
89% Center
11%
C 89%
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