Davis, Madison

Madison Davis was born in Athens, Georgia in 1833. Until the end of the Civil War, Davis was the slave of a local carriage maker. After the war, he was one of two Clarke County delegates to the convention that framed the Constitution of 1868. Also in 1868, Davis was elected to the General Assembly. Because of their light complexions, he and one other black representative were allowed to keep their seats when the legislature voted to expel black members. In 1870, Davis was reelected to the House. In later years, he served as U.S. customs surveyor in Atlanta and as Athens postmaster. Davis was also active in Republican Party politics.