The First Black Members of the U.S. Congress

Not long after the end of the Civil War, during the era of Reconstruction seven Black men were elected to the United States Congress. These senators and representatives were sent by their constituents to Washington D.C. between 1870 and 1871 to enact legislation on behalf a nation that now included 4.3 million newly emancipated formerly enslaved U.S. Citizens. Their names were Hiram Rhodes Revels of North Carolina, Benjamin Sterling Turner of Alabama, Josiah Thomas Walls of Florida, Joseph Hayne Rainey, Robert Brown Elliot and Robert Carlos De Large of South Carolina and Jefferson Franklin Long of Georgia.Among the laws they passed during the 41st and 42nd U.S. Congress was the Yellowstone Act of 1872. This legislation signed by President Ulysses S. Grant for the first time set aside a track of land for the benefit and enjoyment of the people and created our first National Park.The 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