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African American officeholders from the end of the Civil War until before 1900

More than 1,500 African-American officeholders served during the Reconstruction era (1865–1877) and in the years after Reconstruction before white supremacy, disenfranchisement, and the Democratic Party fully reasserted control in Southern states. Historian Canter Brown Jr. noted that in some states, such as Florida, the highest number of African Americans were elected or appointed to offices after the end of Reconstruction in 1877. The following is a partial list of African-American officeholders from the end of the Civil War until 1899. Dates listed are the year that a term states or the range of years served if multiple terms.

U.S. Senate

U.S. House of Representatives

  • Richard H. Cain – South Carolina 1873–1875, 1877–1879 (also South Carolina Senate, House, Constitutional Congress)
  • Henry P. Cheatham – North Carolina 1889–1894
  • Robert C. De Large – South Carolina 1871–1873 (also South Carolina House, South Carolina Constitutional Convention, and State Land Commissioner)
  • Robert B. Elliott – South Carolina 1871–1874 (also South Carolina House, South Carolina Attorney General, South Carolina Constitutional Convention, South Carolina Senate, city council)
  • Jeremiah Haralson – Alabama 1875–1877 (also Alabama Senate and Alabama House)
  • John Adams Hyman – North Carolina 1875–1877 (also North Carolina Senate and North Carolina Constitutional Convention)
  • John Mercer Langston – Virginia 1890–1891 (also U.S. Minister to Haiti)
  • Jefferson F. Long – Georgia 1871
  • John R. Lynch – Mississippi 1873–1877, 1882–1883 (also speaker of the Mississippi House)
  • John Willis Menard – Louisiana 1868, elected but not seated
  • Thomas E. Miller – South Carolina September 24, 1890 – March 3, 1891 (also South Carolina Senate, South Carolina House, and South Carolina Constitutional Convention)
  • George W. Murray – South Carolina 1893–1897
  • Charles E. Nash – Louisiana 1875 –1877
  • James E. O'Hara – North Carolina 1883–1887 (also North Carolina House)
  • Samuel Peters – Louisiana, 1872 elected but died before being seated
  • Joseph H. Rainey – South Carolina 1870–1879 (also South Carolina Senate and South Carolina Constitutional Convention)
  • Alonzo J. Ransier – South Carolina 1873–1875 (also South Carolina Lt. Governor and Constitutional Convention)
  • James T. Rapier – Alabama 1873–1875 (also Alabama Constitutional Convention)
  • Robert Smalls – South Carolina 1875–1879, 1882–1887 (also South Carolina Senate, South Carolina House, and Constitutional Convention)
  • Benjamin Sterling Turner – Alabama 1871–1873
  • Josiah T. Walls – Florida 1871–1876 (also Florida House, Florida Senate, and Florida Constitutional Convention)
  • George Henry White – North Carolina 1897–1901 (also North Carolina House and North Carolina Senate)

Alabama

Between 1868 and 1878, more than 100 African Americans served in the Alabama Legislature.

Alabama Senate

Alabama House of Representatives

Alabama Constitutional Convention

Other state offices

Federal offices

Local offices

Arkansas

Between 1868 and 1893, 85 men noted as "colored" or "mulatto" were elected to the Arkansas legislature. Initially, they served under the 1868 Arkansas Constitution that granted them the right to vote and hold office. The Democrats retook control of the state government and instituted the 1874 Constitution. As a result, after 1893, the next African American to serve as an Arkansas state legislator was in 1973.

Arkansas Senate

Arkansas House of Representatives

Arkansas Constitutional Convention

Other state offices

  • Joseph Carter Corbin – Arkansas Superintendent of Public Schools 1873–1875
  • William Henry Grey – Arkansas Commissioner of Immigration and State Lands (also Arkansas House, Arkansas Senate, and Arkansas Constitutional Convention)
  • James T. White – Arkansas Commissioner of Public Works (also Arkansas House, Arkansas Senate, and Arkansas Constitutional Convention)

Federal offices

Local offices

California

Local offices

Colorado

Colorado House of Representatives

Other state offices

Florida

Florida Senate

Florida House of Representatives

Constitutional conventions

During the Florida Constitutional Convention of 1868, 18 of 46 elected delegates were Black. At the 1885 Constitutional Convention, seven of the 63 delegates were Black.

Florida Constitutional Convention of 1868

Florida Constitutional Convention of 1885

Other state offices

Federal offices

Local offices

Georgia

In Georgia, 69 African Americans served in the state legislature or as delegates to the state's constitutional convention between 1867 and 1872.

Georgia State Senate

Georgia House of Representatives

Georgia Constitutional Convention

Federal offices

  • J. Curt Beall – postmaster of La Grange September 6, 1882 – August 6, 1885
  • Edwin Belcher – postmaster of Macon March 22, 1873 – March 23, 1875 (also Georgia House)
  • Aaron Alpeoria Bradley – postmaster of in Macon (also Georgia Constitutional Convention and Georgia Senate)
  • John H. Clopton – postmaster of Hogansville March 1, 1890 –April 8, 1893
  • Madison Davis – postmaster of Athens February 13, 1882 – June 2, 1890; February 15, 1886 – May 27, 1893 (Georgia House)
  • Jacob D. Enos or Enis – postmaster of Valdosta May 4, 1869 – June 8, 1871
  • Charles R. Jackson – postmaster of Darien October 15, 1890 – September 14, 1897; June 19, 1893 – May 18, 1909
  • Isaiah H. Loftin – postmaster of Hogansville May 17, 1897 – March 2, 1900
  • Monroe B. Morton – postmaster of Athens July 27, 1897 – February 6, 1902
  • Luther J. Price – postmaster of South Atlanta June 18, 1889 – June 21, 1893
  • Ellic L. Simon – postmaster of South Atlanta July 2, 1897 – October 31, 1904
  • Henry McNeal Turner – postmaster of Macon May 18, 1869 – August 10, 1869 (also Georgia House and Georgia Constitutional Convention)

Local offices

Idaho

Federal offices

Illinois

Illinois House of Representatives

Indiana

Indiana did not have African American legislators until after the Reconstruction era.

Indiana House of Representatives

Federal offices

  • James Cantrell – postmaster of Lyles September 12, 1898 – February 12, 1920

Kansas

Kansas did not have African American legislators until after the Reconstruction era.

Kansas House of Representatives

Other state offices

  • Edward P. McCabe – Kansas State Auditor (also county clerk, U.S. Treasury Department clerk, and county treasurer in Oklahoma)

Federal offices

Local offices

  • Edward P. McCabe – county clerk for Graham County (also Kansas State Auditor, U.S. Treasury Department clerk, and county treasurer in Oklahoma)

Kentucky

Federal offices

Louisiana

Through 1900, 24 African Americans served in the Louisiana Senate during Reconstruction; more than 100 served in the Louisiana House of Representatives. In addition, six African American men held statewide offices in Louisiana, including the nation's first African American acting governors.

Louisiana Governor

  • Oscar James Dunn – acting governor May–July 1871
  • P. B. S. Pinchback – acting governor December 1872–January 1873 (also U.S. Senate, Louisiana Lt. Governor, Louisiana Constitutional Convention, and Louisiana Senate)

Louisiana lieutenant governor

  • Caesar Antoine – 1873–1877 (also Louisiana Senate and Louisiana Constitutional Convention)
  • Oscar James Dunn – 1868–1871, (also Louisiana Constitutional Convention)
  • P. B. S. Pinchback – 1872 (also U.S. Senate, acting Louisiana Governor, Louisiana Constitutional Convention, and Louisiana Senate)

Louisiana State Senate

Louisiana House of Representatives

Louisiana Constitutional Convention

Other state offices

  • William C. Brown – Louisiana Superintendent of Education 1872–1876
  • Pierre G. Deslonde – Secretary of State 1872–1876 (also Louisiana Constitutional Convention)
  • Antoine Dubuclet – state treasurer 1876–1877

Federal offices

Local offices

Maryland

Federal offices

Local offices

Massachusetts

Massachusetts House of Representatives

Local offices

Michigan

Michigan House of Representatives

Other state offices

Minnesota

Minnesota did not have any African American legislators until after the Reconstruction era.

Minnesota House of Representatives

Mississippi

The Mississippi Plan was part of an organized campaign of terror and violence used by the Democratic Party and Ku Klux Klan to disenfranchise African Americans in Mississippi, block them from holding office, end Reconstruction, and restore white supremacy in the state. Nevertheless, many African Americans served in its legislature, and Mississippi was the only state that elected African-American candidates to the U.S. Senate during the Reconstruction era: A total of 37 African Americans served in the state Senate and 117 served in the state House.

Mississippi Lieutenant Governor

Mississippi Secretary of State

Mississippi State Senate

Mississippi House of Representatives

Mississippi Constitutional Convention

Other state offices

Federal offices

Local offices

Missouri

Federal positions

  • James Milton Turner – consul general to Liberia March 1, 1871 – May 7, 1877

Nebraska

Nebraska House of Representatives

New York

Local offices

North Carolina

North Carolina Senate

North Carolina House of Representatives

North Carolina Constitutional Convention

Federal offices

Ohio

Ohio Senate

Ohio House of Representatives

Federal offices

  • George W. Harding – postmaster of Wilberforce August 21, 1893 – July 24, 1897

Local offices

Oklahoma

Federal offices

Local offices

  • Edward P. McCabe – treasurer of Logan County (also Kansas State Auditor, U.S. Treasury Department clerk in Kansas, and county clerk in Kansas)

Pennsylvania

Federal offices

Local offices

Rhode Island

Rhode Island General Assembly

South Carolina

During Reconstruction, South Carolina was the only state whose legislature was majority African American. Eric Foner says 29 African Americans served in the South Carolina Senate, and 210 African Americans served in the South Carolina House of Representatives. In addition, 72 African Americans participated in the 1868 South Carolina Constitutional Convention. Many others served in various state or local offices, ranging from lieutenant governor to justice of the peace.

South Carolina Lt. Governor

  • Richard Howell Gleaves – December 7, 1872 – December 14, 1876
  • Alonzo J. Ransier – December 3, 1870 – December 7, 1872 (also U.S. Congress and South Carolina House)

South Carolina Senate

South Carolina House of Representatives

South Carolina Constitutional Convention

Other state offices

Federal offices

Local offices

Tennessee

Only one African American served in the Tennessee Legislature during the 1870s, but more than a dozen followed in the 1880s as Republicans retook the governorship. They advocated for schools for African Americans, spoke against segregated public facilities, and advocated for voting rights protections.

Tennessee House of Representatives

Other state offices

Other state and federal offices

Local offices

Texas

During the Reconstruction era, four African Americans won election to the Texas Senate and 32 to the Texas House of Representatives.

Texas Senate

Texas House of Representatives

Texas Constitutional Convention

Federal offices

Local offices

Vermont

Local offices

  • Stephen Bates, Sheriff of Vergennes and the first Black chief law enforcement officer in Vermont history, 1879

Virginia

In 2012, the Virginia Senate enacted Joint Resolution No. 89, recognizing that Reconstruction in Virginia lasted from 1869 to 1890 due to Jim Crow laws; federal Reconstruction ended in 1877.

Senate of Virginia

Virginia House of Delegates

Virginia Constitutional Convention

Federal offices

Local offices

Washington

Washington did not have any African American legislators during Reconstruction.

Washington House of Representatives

West Virginia

West Virginia did not have any African American legislators during the Reconstruction.

West Virginia House of Delegates

Wyoming

Wyoming did not have any African American legislators during Reconstruction.

Wyoming Territorial House of Representatives

Washington, D.C.

Federal offices

House of Delegates

Local offices

See also

Notes

References

Further reading

  • Bailey, Richard. Neither Carpetbaggers Nor Scalawags: Black Officeholders During the Reconstruction of Alabama, 1867–1878. Montgomery: Richard Bailey Publishers, 1995.
  • Brown, Jr., Canter. Florida's Black Public Officials, 1867–1924. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1998.
  • Gibbs, Mifflin Wistar. Shadow and Light: An Autobiography. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1995.
  • Southern Black Leaders of the Reconstruction Era. Howard N. Rabinowitz, editor. University of Illinois Press, 1982.