White was the last African American congressman of the 19th Century. It took 28 years before another Black politician, Oscar De Priest of Chicago, was elected to Congress; De Priest was the first Black member from the North. White was born a slave in Rosindale, North Carolina.

Thomas Henry FRS (26 October 1734 – 18 June 1816) was a surgeon and apothecary. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society of London, and also the father of William Henry, the chemist who formulated Henry's Law.

Often referred to as America's 'first career diplomat,' Henry spent 30 years in the U.S. Diplomatic Service, serving as First Secretary at the U.S. Embassy in London, and as Ambassador to both Italy and France before retiring in 1909.