African-American officeholders during and following the Reconstruction era

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.[1] 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 notable African American officeholders from the end of the Civil War until before 1900. Dates listed are the year that a term states or the range of years served if multiple terms.

U.S. Senate

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U.S. House of Representatives

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Alabama

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Between 1868 and 1878, more than 100 African Americans served in the Alabama Legislature.[4]

Alabama Senate

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Alabama legislators at the capitol in 1872

Alabama House of Representatives

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Alabama Constitutional Convention

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Other state offices

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Federal offices

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Local offices

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Arkansas

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Between 1868 and 1893, 85 men noted as "colored" or "mulatto" were elected to the Arkansas legislature.[14][15] Initially, they served under the 1868 Arkansas Constitution that granted them the right to vote and hold office. The Democrats retook control of 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.[16]

Arkansas Senate

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Arkansas House of Representatives

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Arkansas Constitutional Convention

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Other state offices

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  • 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

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Local offices

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California

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Local offices

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Colorado

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Colorado House of Representatives

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Other state offices

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Florida

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Florida Senate

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Florida House of Representatives

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Constitutional conventions

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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.[27]

Florida Constitutional Convention of 1868

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Florida Constitutional Convention of 1885

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Other state offices

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Federal offices

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Local offices

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Georgia

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In Georgia, 69 African Americans served in the state legislature or as delegates to the state's constitutional convention between 1867 and 1872.[31]

Georgia State Senate

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Georgia House of Representatives

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Georgia Constitutional Convention

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Federal offices

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Local offices

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Idaho

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Federal offices

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Illinois

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Illinois House of Representatives

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Indiana

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Indiana did not have African American legislators until after the Reconstruction era.[41]

Indiana House of Representatives

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Federal offices

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  • James Cantrell – postmaster of Lyles September 12, 1898 – February 12, 1920[11]

Kansas

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Kansas did not have African American legislators until after the Reconstruction era.[41]

Kansas House of Representatives

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Other state offices

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

Federal offices

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Local offices

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

Kentucky

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Federal offices

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Louisiana

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Through 1900, 24 African Americans served in the Louisiana Senate during Reconstruction; more than 100 served in the Louisiana House of Representatives.[42] In addition, six African American men held statewide offices in Louisiana, including the nation's first African American acting governors.

Louisiana Governor

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  • Oscar James Dunn – acting governor May–July 1871[43][e]
  • 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

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  • 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

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Louisiana House of Representatives

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African American delegates to the Louisiana Constitutional Convention 1868

Louisiana Constitutional Convention

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Other state offices

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Federal offices

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Local offices

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Maryland

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Federal offices

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Local offices

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Massachusetts

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Massachusetts House of Representatives

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Local offices

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Michigan

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Michigan House of Representatives

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Other state offices

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Minnesota

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Minnesota did not have any African American legislators until after the Reconstruction era.[41]

Minnesota House of Representatives

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Mississippi

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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 Senate and 117 served in the House.[58][59]

Mississippi Lieutenant Governor

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Mississippi Secretary of State

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Photo composite of Mississippi state legislators in 1874 by E. von Seutter

Mississippi State Senate

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Mississippi House of Representatives

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Mississippi Constitutional Convention

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Other state offices

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Federal offices

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Local offices

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Missouri

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Federal positions

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Nebraska

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Nebraska House of Representatives

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New York

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Local offices

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North Carolina

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North Carolina Senate

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North Carolina House of Representatives

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North Carolina Constitutional Convention

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Federal offices

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