Because Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Georgia had the largest African American populations, those states had some of the first black elected politicians beginning in 1867.
John Willis Menard of Louisiana and Jefferson F. Long of Georgia were among the first African Americans elected to Congress (in 1868 and 1870, respectively).
In Louisiana, the black lieutenant governor P. B. S. Pinchback served as acting governor for some time after the white governor was removed from office in 1872. He was later elected to the U.S. Senate. Two black men, Hiram R. Revels and Blanche K. Bruce, became U.S. senators, and some fourteen African Americans served in the House of Representatives.
Thirteen of the fourteen blacks who served in Congress during Reconstruction were ex-slaves, but all were well educated, either self-taught or formally trained. There were seven lawyers, three ministers, one banker, one publisher, two school teachers, and three college presidents among them.
In 1872, Charlotte Ray received her law degree from Howard University Law School, making her the first black woman lawyer.
Related Posts
-
How did the participation of African Americans in politics after Reconstruction change the political system?
As more blacks participated in politics, the black vote became important. African Americans filled many elected and appointed positions, including those of sheriff, mayor, prosecuting attorney, justice of the peace, and county superintendent…
-
What else did the government do to help African Americans during Reconstruction?
On March 13, 1866, Congress passed an act, called the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which stated that all persons born in the United States were citizens with full rights and privileges of…
-
How did African Americans take advantage of their new freedom after Reconstruction?
When the Fifteenth Amendment was passed, the large numbers of new black voters meant that blacks were finally participating in government. The Freedmen's Bureau helped African Americans build schools, small businesses, and churches.…
-
Where did African Americans go after Reconstruction?
While many African Americans moved from one part of the South to another, those who wanted their own land went West where they were often welcomed by Native American tribes because of their…
-
What other political gains did African Americans attain in the 1960s and 1970s?
In 1967, Thurgood Marshall (1908-1993) became the first black justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. As the black residents of central-city areas became sizable minorities, and sometimes majorities, of the voting population, black…
-
What political gains did African Americans attain in the 1980s and 1990s?
In the 1980s, black mayors were elected in Chicago, Philadelphia, New York City, and other cities throughout the country. By 1990, there were 318 black mayors. In 1983 and 1988, Jesse Jackson declared…
