William Thornton Montgomery
William Thornton Montgomery | |
|---|---|
Photo from the Milburn J. Crowe Photograph Album of William Thornton Montgomery ca. 1865. Courtesy of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History | |
| Born | February 1843 Warren County, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | July 3, 1909 (age 66) Mound Bayou, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Burial place | Mound Bayou Cemetery |
| Occupation(s) | Freedman, businessman, farmer, community leader, carpenter |
| Father | Benjamin Thornton Montgomery |
| Relatives | Isaiah Montgomery (brother), Mary Montgomery Booze (niece) |
William Thornton Montgomery (February 1843 – July 3, 1909) was an American freedman, businessman, farmer, and community leader, best known for his contributions to agriculture and his advocacy for African American empowerment. The Montgomery family, including W. T. Montgomery and Isaiah Montgomery, would later become prominent figures in the post-emancipation era, advocating for the rights and advancement of African Americans.
Born into slavery on Joseph Davis' Hurricane plantation in Warren County, Mississippi, in February 1843, Montgomery was the eldest son of Benjamin Thornton Montgomery and Mary Montgomery. He grew up alongside his younger brother, Isaiah Montgomery, who later founded Mound Bayou, Mississippi, an all-black community.