Patrick Henry Alexander Braxton was born a slave in King William County, Virginia on September 22, 1852.

In 1863, his new master was killed, and the family returned to King William County, Virginia, where they were hired out until they were freed in 1865, the year the American Civil War ended.

In 1868 a school was started at the Cat-tail Baptist church in the county, and Braxton began to attend full-time during the month of August 1868, and at nights thereafter.

The court would not take Braxton's accusation that Virus resisted arrest and threatened to kill an officer of the law in the discharge of duty.

[1] In the meantime, Braxton began to study law and in October and November 1874 he was a member of a United States paneled jury, and in 1874 he moved to Washington, DC.

In June 1875 he received an appointment as a collector at the United States Custom House at Low Cedar Point, Virginia.

In December 1878 he was appointed general collecting agent of the consolidated American Baptist Missionary Convention, and moved to Richmond, Virginia.