December 1870
Events
- December 12, 1870Joseph Rainey First Black Member of the U.S. House
Joseph Rainey of South Carolina, born enslaved, is sworn into the House of Representatives, becoming the first Black man to serve in that chamber. A skilled orator, he served five terms and forcefully advocated for the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871 and civil rights protections for Black Southerners.
- December 12, 1870Joseph Hayne Rainey Becomes First Black Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
Joseph Hayne Rainey of South Carolina was sworn in on December 12, 1870 as the first African American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. A former enslaved man who had served the Confederate Navy before escaping to the Bahamas, Rainey served five terms and became a forceful advocate for civil rights legislation and the enforcement of Reconstruction amendments.
- December 12, 1870Joseph Rainey Becomes First Black Member of the U.S. House
Joseph Hayne Rainey of South Carolina was seated in the House of Representatives on December 12, 1870, becoming the first African American to serve in the U.S. House. Formerly enslaved, he served four terms and was a powerful advocate for civil rights legislation and the enforcement of the 14th Amendment.
- December 12, 1870Joseph 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.