John B. Syphax

John Bryce Syphax (circa 1838 – September 8, 1916) was an African-American politician active during the Reconstruction era in the United States. He was born into a free family in Virginia. His parents were Charles Syphax and Maria Carter Syphax. His mother was the illegitimate daughter of Ariana Carter, an enslaved woman, and George Washington Parke Custis. Custis was the grandson of Martha Washington, the first First Lady of the United States, through her first marriage.

In 1821, George Washington Parke Custis permitted his mixed-race daughter Maria Carter Syphax and her spouse Charles Syphax to marry at his Arlington mansion. In 1826, Custis arranged for Maria and her two children to be freed from slavery by being sold to a Quaker apothecary. This act of manumission was based on the principles that a child's status was derived from that of the mother, ensuring that subsequent children born to Maria and Charles Syphax would be born free. Additionally, Custis granted Maria 17 acres of land on his Arlington estate, where she and her family resided until her death.

John Syphax had siblings, notably an older brother named William Syphax, who was involved in public service in Washington, D.C., working for the Department of Interior and later serving on the school board for black schools.

Following the Civil War, John Syphax became involved in politics. He was appointed as a justice of the peace on the Arlington Magisterial Board. Subsequently, he was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates, serving from January 1, 1874, to March 31, 1875. During his term, he represented Alexandria and Alexandria County, alongside J. C. O’Neal.

Later in his life, Syphax migrated to the northern United States, settling in Brooklyn, New York. He passed away in Brooklyn on September 8, 1916, and was buried at Cypress Hill Cemetery in Brooklyn.

This biography reflects Syphax’s participation as an African-American public official during the Reconstruction era, a period marked by significant efforts toward political inclusion for formerly enslaved and free African Americans in the southern United States.