Noble Andrew Hull

Noble Andrew Hull (March 11, 1827 – January 28, 1907) was a U.S. representative from Florida and the sixth lieutenant governor of Florida. Born in the early nineteenth century, he came of age in a period of rapid territorial development and political realignment in the American South. His life and public career were closely intertwined with the growth of Florida from a sparsely settled frontier region into a more fully integrated state within the Union.

Details of Hull’s early life and education are sparse in the surviving record, but his birth in 1827 placed him among the generation that experienced both the antebellum expansion of slavery and the profound upheavals of the Civil War and Reconstruction. He would have been a young adult during Florida’s transition from territory to statehood in 1845, and his formative years unfolded against a backdrop of sectional conflict and debates over states’ rights, issues that would later shape the political environment in which he served.

Hull’s rise in public life culminated in his selection as the sixth lieutenant governor of Florida, a position that reflected his standing within the state’s Democratic Party. As lieutenant governor, he occupied a key role in the state’s executive leadership during a time when Florida was rebuilding its political and economic institutions in the post–Civil War era. The office placed him at the intersection of legislative and executive functions, and his tenure contributed to the reestablishment of Democratic control and the consolidation of state authority after the disruptions of Reconstruction.

As a member of the Democratic Party representing Florida, Noble Andrew Hull contributed to the legislative process during one term in office as a U.S. representative. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, when the nation was grappling with the legacies of the Civil War, the readmission and political reintegration of former Confederate states, and the evolving balance of power between federal and state governments. In this context, Hull participated in the democratic process at the national level, representing the interests of his Florida constituents and aligning with the broader priorities of Southern Democrats of his era.

Hull’s congressional term placed him among those lawmakers who navigated contentious issues such as federal oversight in the South, economic recovery, and the political status of formerly enslaved people and their descendants. While the detailed record of his specific legislative initiatives is limited, his presence in the House of Representatives during this transformative period underscores his role in shaping, and responding to, the political realignments that defined the late nineteenth century. His combined experience as both a state executive officer and a federal legislator gave him a perspective that bridged local concerns in Florida with national debates in Washington.

Noble Andrew Hull lived into the early twentieth century, witnessing the closing of the Reconstruction era, the rise of the New South, and the beginnings of modern industrial and political change in the United States. He died on January 28, 1907, having spent his public life in service to Florida at both the state and national levels. His career reflects the trajectory of many Southern Democratic leaders of his generation, whose work helped shape the political landscape of Florida during a period of profound transformation.