Robert Jemison Jr. (September 17, 1802 – October 16, 1871) was an American politician, entrepreneur and slave owner who served as a Confederate States Senator from Alabama from 1863 to 1865.
In 1858, he attempted to sell the plantations, 70 slaves and other land in Tuscaloosa, including another residence, a livery stable and the Indian Queen Hotel.
His largest enterprise was a 4,000-acre (1,600 ha) Cherokee Place plantation in what is now Northport, Alabama, where he lived before building the Jemison-Van de Graaff Mansion in Tuscaloosa.
[3][4] After the Civil War, Jemison's wealth was significantly diminished, and eventually he lost his family mansion due to debt.
Jemison hired Horace King, a skilled multiracial enslaved person from Russell County to build bridges in eastern Mississippi.