Editing Octavius Catto Memorial (section)

== Octavius V. Catto ==

=== Early Life ===

* Born 1839 in Charleston, South Carolina
* Family moved to Philadelphia in 1844
* Father was a prominent minister
* Educated at Institute for Colored Youth (now Cheyney University)
* Became a teacher and principal

=== Civil Rights Leadership ===

Catto was a leading figure in Philadelphia's Black community:

* '''Education''' — Taught at and led the Institute for Colored Youth
* '''Desegregation''' — Fought to desegregate Philadelphia streetcars (1867 victory)
* '''Military''' — Helped recruit Black troops for the Union Army (Civil War)
* '''Voting rights''' — Major advocate for 15th Amendment enforcement
* '''Baseball''' — Founded and played for the Pythian Base Ball Club

=== Death ===

On October 10, 1871, during violence surrounding a contentious election:

* White mobs attacked Black voters in Philadelphia
* Catto was shot and killed on South Street
* He was 32 years old
* His killer, Frank Kelly, was acquitted in 1877
* His death symbolized Reconstruction's betrayal