Joseph Rainey Becomes First Black Member of the House

Joseph Hayne Rainey of South Carolina was sworn in December 12, 1870, as the first Black man to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. Formerly enslaved, he had escaped to Bermuda during the war. He served five terms, advocated for the Civil Rights Act of 1875, and became the first Black man to preside over the House as Speaker pro tempore.