February 1870
Events
- February 3, 187013th, 14th, and 15th Amendments — the Reconstruction Amendments
The ratification of the 15th Amendment in 1870, completing the trio of Reconstruction Amendments, legally abolished slavery, established birthright citizenship and equal protection, and guaranteed Black men the right to vote. These three amendments fundamentally transformed the constitutional order and remain the legal foundation for civil rights.
- February 3, 187015th Amendment Ratified, Granting Black Men the Right to Vote
The 15th Amendment to the Constitution — prohibiting denial of the vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude — is ratified. Black communities across the South celebrated with parades and church services. Within months, Black voters had elected dozens of Black officials to local, state, and federal offices across the former Confederacy.
- February 25, 1870Hiram Revels Becomes First Black U.S. Senator
AME minister Hiram Revels of Mississippi is sworn into the U.S. Senate, occupying the seat once held by Jefferson Davis. Born free in North Carolina, Revels had organized Black Union regiments during the Civil War. His election by the Mississippi legislature broke the color barrier in the upper chamber of Congress.
- February 25, 1870Hiram Revels becomes first Black US Senator
Hiram Revels of Mississippi was sworn in as the first African American to serve in the United States Senate, filling the seat once held by Jefferson Davis. His election by the Mississippi state legislature marked a defining moment of Reconstruction-era Black political power.