Hiram R. Revels

Hiram R. Revels was a Black American politician and minister born free in Fayetteville, North Carolina in 1827. Ordained by the African Methodist Episcopal Church he served a teacher of religion in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Tennessee, Missouri and Kansas. Formally educated in theology at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois in 1857 he became the minister of a Methodist Episcopal Church in Baltimore, Maryland and was the principal of the local Black high school. During the American Civil War, shortly after Congress authorized the creation of the United States Colored Troops, Revels recruited and organized two regiments of Black Union soldiers in Maryland and Missouri. In 1863, as a member of the U.S. Chaplain Corps, Revels ministered to combatants of the Battle of Vicksburg. During the era of Reconstruction, he relocated to Natchez Mississippi where he was elected alderman in 1868, state representative 1869 and U.S. Senator in 1870. Hiram Revels was the first Black American to serve in either house the of the U.S. Congress.https://www.nps.gov/people/hiram-rhodes-revels.htmThe Joy Trip Project celebrates the enduring legacy of Black American History. The Unhidden Minute is part of the Unhidden Podcast Project supported through a National Geographic Explorer Grant from the National Geographic Society, with the cooperation of the National Park Service. This series elevates the untold stories of Black American historical figures, events and cultural contributions.#unhiddenblackhistory #NationalParkService #yourparkstory #NationalGeographic #unhiddenminuteBecome a paid subscriber to the Unhidden Minute Podcast for one year and receive a copy The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors 10th Anniversary Edition by James Edward Mills. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jamesedwardmills.substack.com/subscribe