Also American

Person · 1847–1939

John Roy Lynch

Mississippi congressman, first Black speaker of its House, and a historian of the era.

A leader and chronicler of [[reconstruction-politics]].

Born enslaved, John Roy Lynch rose to lead the Mississippi House and serve in Congress; decades later he wrote "The Facts of Reconstruction" to counter the era's racist mythology.

Reconstruction & Black Political Power

On the timeline

  1. March 2, 1867
    The Reconstruction Acts

    Congress divides the South into military districts and requires new constitutions with Black male suffrage — opening the door to Black political power.

Resources