Henry J. Maxwell
South Carolina state senator & postmaster
About Henry J. Maxwell
Lived 1837 – 1906 (aged 68–69).
Henry Johnson Maxwell (May 3, 1837 – August 26, 1906) was an African-American lawyer, soldier in the Union Army, state senator, and a postmaster in South Carolina.
Biography Henry Johnson Maxwell was born free on Edisto Island to Stephen J. and Thurston Johnson Maxwell. He was a Sergeant in the 2nd U.S. Colored Artillery. After the war, he worked for the Freedmen's Bureau in Bennettsville, South Carolina as a teacher.
He was married twice, the second time to Martha Louisa Dibble Maxwell. He helped raise eight children. Another of his sons was attorney Charles W. Maxwell. Henry J. Maxwell's granddaughter Cassandra E. Maxwell became the first female African American lawyer in South Carolina in 1941.
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Important facts
People in Henry J. Maxwell's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Henry J. Maxwell's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Henry J. Maxwell?
South Carolina state senator & postmaster
When was Henry J. Maxwell born?
Henry J. Maxwell was born in 1837 in Edisto Island.
When did Henry J. Maxwell die?
Henry J. Maxwell died in 1906.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Henry J. Maxwell. https://biography.guide/henry-j-maxwell/
MLA: "Henry J. Maxwell." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/henry-j-maxwell/.
Chicago: "Henry J. Maxwell." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/henry-j-maxwell/.
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