Also American

Person · 1841–1898

Blanche K. Bruce

The first Black American to serve a full term in the U.S. Senate (1875–1881).

A landmark of [[reconstruction-politics]].

Born enslaved in Virginia, Blanche Bruce became a Mississippi planter and politician and the only Black senator of the 19th century to serve a complete term, advocating for freedpeople, Native Americans, and immigrants.

Reconstruction & Black Political Power

On the timeline

  1. February 3, 1870
    The 15th Amendment

    The vote is guaranteed regardless of race; Black men begin electing Black officials across the South.

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