Republican

John Willis Menard*

John Willis Menard*

John Willis Menard was the first Black man ever elected to the U.S. House of Representatives though he was never seated in Congress. In November...

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Hiram Rhodes Revels

Hiram Rhodes Revels

In February 1870, Senator Hiram Revels became the first Black American to serve in Congress when he filled the seat of former Mississippi senator...

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Joseph Hayne Rainey

Joseph Hayne Rainey

Congressman Joseph Rainey, born into slavery, was the first Black representative from South Carolina and the first African American to serve in the...

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Jefferson Franklin Long

Jefferson Franklin Long

Congressman Jefferson Long, born into slavery, was the first Black representative of Georgia and the only Black American to represent Georgia in the...

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Benjamin Sterling Turner

Benjamin Sterling Turner

Congressman Benjamin Turner, the first Black representative from Alabama, served in the U.S. House of Representatives from March 1871 to March 1873...

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Robert Brown Elliott

Robert Brown Elliott

Congressman Robert Elliott represented South Carolina in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1871 to 1874 (42nd-43rd Congresses), when he...

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Josiah Thomas Walls

Josiah Thomas Walls

Congressman Josiah Walls was the first Black representative to the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida. He served from 1871 to 1873 and from...

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Alonzo Jacob Ransier

Alonzo Jacob Ransier

Congressman Alonzo Ransier represented South Carolina in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1873 to 1875 (43rd Congress). He served on the...

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James Thomas Rapier

James Thomas Rapier

Congressman James Rapier was one of three Black representatives to Congress from Alabama during Reconstruction. He served for one term, from 1873 to...

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Richard Harvey Cain

Richard Harvey Cain

Congressman Richard Cain represented South Carolina in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1873 to 1875 and from 1877 to 1879 (43rd and 45th...

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John Roy Lynch

John Roy Lynch

Congressman John Lynch was the first Black American member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Mississippi and the youngest member of the 43rd...

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Blanche Kelso Bruce

Blanche Kelso Bruce

Senator Blanche Bruce escaped slavery at the outset of the Civil War and served as a Mississippi Senator from 1875 to 1881 (44th-46th Congresses)....

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Robert Carlos De Large

Robert Carlos De Large

Congressman Robert De Large was born into slavery and later served in the U.S. House of Representatives as a representative of South Carolina from...

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James Edward O’Hara

James Edward O’Hara

Congressman James O'Hara was the second African American to represent North Carolina in Congress, serving from 1883 to 1887 (48th-49th Congresses)...

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George Washington Murray

George Washington Murray

Congressman George Murray represented South Carolina in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1893 to 1895 and, after successfully contesting the...

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Henry Plummer Cheatham

Henry Plummer Cheatham

Congressman Henry Cheatham represented North Carolina in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1889 to 1893 (51st-52nd Congresses) and was a member...

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John Mercer Langston

John Mercer Langston

Congressman John Langston was the first Black American to represent Virginia in the U.S. House of Representatives. He served part of one term...

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Thomas Ezekiel Miller

Thomas Ezekiel Miller

After successfully contesting another candidate's election, Congressman Thomas Miller represented South Carolina in the U.S. House of...

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George Henry White

George Henry White

Congressman George White, enslaved until the age of 10, was the last Black American to serve in Congress until 1928. He represented North Carolina...

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Oscar Stanton De Priest

Oscar Stanton De Priest

Congressman Oscar De Priest was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1929 to represent Illinois' 1st Congressional District. De Priest, a...

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Charles Edmund Nash

Charles Edmund Nash

A former sergeant for the Union Army, Congressman Charles Nash was the first Black American to represent Louisiana in the U.S. House of...

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