List on theon the thousands of deaths. Or than 300,000 people die each year. The electrocardiograph has aided in the study of heart disease. Cancer results in the death of 100 35,000 people in the United States annually. Malaria is still an important look Health Program problem. This mosquito Borne Disease has more than 2 million cases annually. Having aent is malarial chill. We need to prevent mosquito breeding. We can provide breeding places for mosquitoes and by eliminating all piles insofar as possible. In certain regions, effective Mosquito Control has been dusted. This has been done by trucks. And by airplanes, according to the conditions met with. Method effective employed is the killing of larvae by the removing of stagnant water. Also, keeping mosquitoes out of the home. That was a short look at one of our many programs available in its entirety on our website at cspan. Org history. American history tv, exploring our nations passed every weekend on cspan3. Week, American History tvs american artifacts explores the history of the United States through objects. Up next, we visit capitol hill iewski. K to matthew wasn to see a slush and of artifacts from the house collection. We actually had 22 africanamericans served between 1870 and 1901. 20 in the house, two in the senate. It has to do with the role of congress during the civil war, and in the decade after. During the civil war, there was a group of radicals in congress, radicals because they believed in the equality of africanamericans, and wanted to create a society in the south after the war that was a multiracial society. These were radicals in the house like thaddeus stevens, the chairman of the ways and means committee. A very powerful leader. Also people like henry winter davis, eliza washburn. In the senate, people like Charles Sumner and benjamin wade. And they really drove the agenda and pushed the Lincoln Administration not only to prosecute the war more vigorously, but to have a reconstruction after a war that was not so lenient toward Southern States and was going to ensure that Political Rights were extended to africanamericans. Ms. Elloitt the war ends in 1865. I have you get to be first africanamerican members of congress . It does not happen right that day. Mr. Wasniewski it did not happen right away. The role of the radicals becomes more assertive after the end of the war. After lincoln was assassinated, president johnson takes over and has an even more lenient view than lincoln of how the Southern States are going to be readmitted, and he is pushed constantly by the radical republicans. In a short time, roughly for five years, they pass a series of constitutional amendments and also laws that bring about the equality of africanamericans in the south and that starts with the passage of the 13th amendment. That is ratified later that year, banning slavery, outlawing slavery once and for all in the u. S. But that was following with major legislation might the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which extended Citizenship Rights to the freedmen and constitutional amendments like the 14th amendment. The 15th amendment that guaranteed Voting Rights and also a series of reconstruction acts that divided the south into military districts. They gave power to Union Generals to run those districts politically, essentially. Set up elections and to ensure africanamericans come to the polls under the new amendments and laws passed. Ms. Elliott in the house collection we have a number of images, prints. For example, this is from 1866. This is seen outside the gallery at the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1866. There was great jubilation. And we have some from the passage of amendments you are talking about, other Civil Rights Acts. And in all of them, people seem really excited and delighted at this level of progress. It is certainly being portrayed in the public eye as Something Wonderful and great and terrific. So then there is a lag of a few years from those things being passed the states being able to elect africanamerican members . Mr. Wasniewski what goes in to place our republican reconstruction governments. At that point, by the late 1860s, you begin to see are an number of africanamerican officeholders move up into positions of local authority, either on Town Councils or the state legislatures. They gain a political role and a political voice and a number of the africanamericans who serve in this time period, that is how they move through the ranks very quickly and come into positions where they can be elected it to congress. Ms. Elliott who is the first africanamerican in the house . Mr. Wasniewski the first to speak on the floor while the house was in session is a man who was elected, but never seated. John willis minard from louisiana was elected in 1868. His election was contested, and that is the story that runs throughout the 19th century for so many of these africanamerican members who were elected to congress. Their election was challenged and a number of them had that experience. Minard was in february 1869, he was allowed to speak on the house floor to defend himself and his contested election case. The house chose not to seat him or his opponent and he never was seated. But he won the election. The house just exercised its right not to seat him. The first africanamerican elected to the house and seated in the house is Joseph Rainey of South Carolina. December, 1870. Following him another 19 africanamerican members throughout the course of the 19th century. Rainey was not the first africanamerican in congress. That distinction went to hiram rebels of mississippi. He was elected by the state legislature as senators were back in the 19th century. He came into congress in early 1870. But when you think about that revolution that occurrs within a matter of less than a decade, so rainey had been born into slavery. During the civil war he had been conscripted into the Confederate Army to dig trenches around charleston where he was from. He escaped to bermuda during the war. Comes back after the war. Gains political experience and a political role locally. And within a decade he is holding the state of a former confederate slaveholder. Revels story was the same. He was born as a free man, never was a slave. He comes into the senate and occupies a seat that had been held by slaveholder less than a decade before. When you think about the great paradoxes of American History, that is one of them. They come to the capitol and represent africanamerican constituencies and they are doing it after the seats have been given up during secession by slaveholders. Ms. Elloitt that is amazing. I have read about it, and there are very small brotherhood of men serving right after in those early 1870s. We have a print that has five of them right here. They include hiram revels, you were just talking about, and Joseph Rainey right here this is three other members of congress, two in the house, one in the senate. That is the complete africanamerican representation in the senate until well into the 20th century. You can see they are being presented in this print, which was taken from a book from the former speaker of the house, very much in the same vein as every other member of congress and statements of the day was. Most of these were taken from daguerreotype afrom Matthew Bradys studio. If you were to see the whole thing they were sitting in the same chair, in front of same curtain background that he used for every congressman. You cannot swing a cat without finding a 19th entry photograph of a member of congress from bradys studio sitting in the chair. What is interesting to me, there really is the sense that these people are members of congress. There is this sort of the civil war is the b. C. And the a. D. Of American History. It seems like it was a huge pivot, as shown by this kind of representation of them. Mr. Wasniewski four africanamericans and historians, reconstruction is the second american revotion in which Political Rights had been extended to this group that had been excluded for so long. Their careers in the house and senate really embody the experiences of the africanamericans who served during this time. Their service was, to a great degree, largely symbolic service. Revels only served for a short time in the senate. He later goes on a speaking tour around the country and he is introduced as the 15th amendment in flesh and blood. Rainey, too, was a symbol for africanamericans. These were men who not only represented their small districts or the states, but they represented africanamericans nationally. They were a source of pride. That is reflected in the material culture. Rainey serves for eight years in the house. He is the longest serving africanamerican during the reconstruction period in the 19th century. He is the first africanamerican to preside over the house while it is in session. That happens in 1874. His experience though is typical of a lot of these other individuals who come to the house in relatively small numbers. The high point for the number of African Americans is the 43rd congress, mid1870s. Theres only six or seven africanamericans in congress at that point. They are really too small of a group to drive any legislative agenda. And where they do contribute to legislation is to come out and speak on behalf of of their constituents and their Political Rights and the abuse of those abuses against those Political Rights and the reconstruction era south. They tend to give very eloquent speeches about some of the major bills, like the 1875 Civil Rights Act, which again is a piece of legislation not many people think about today. When you think Civil Rights Acts, its 1964. What that bill in 1875 would have done is essentially the same as the 1964 bill did it would grant the quality and accommodations in public travel and also schools. A lot of these africanamericans from the south South Carolina, mississippi, alabama got up and spoke on behalf of this bill. Particularly the education provision, which would have provided an equal playing field. That provision, sadly, was stripped out of the bill at the very end of the congress. This was a bill that had been championed by Charles Sumner, the senator from massachusetts and supported by benjamin butler, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee in the house, but a lot of these men gave very moving testimonials about that legislation. Ms. Elliott i have a question about another object we have in the collection. Revels and rainey as the first often are the ones i think about. But there are these other 19 folks and one of them is robert brown elliott, right here. This is from Frank Leslies illustrated newspaper where a lot of the 19th century stuff we have in the house collection that tells us about what is going on in the house and what the public is reading about it, what they are seeing, this is one of the rare ones in which there is an africanamerican member given a sort of little portrait right there on the pages next to any number of other things going on. This is the news of the day. Tell me about robert elliott. Mr. Wasniewski elliott is one of the interesting members. He is from South Carolina. The majority of africanamerican members in the 19th century come from South Carolina, largely because it was a majority africanamerican population, and their districts are majority africanamerican. So there is support for a black candidate. Elliott is a wonderful orator, and he is one of those people who invented himself as he went along. You get the sense he was a true character. He had a great classical education. He came up after reconstruction. Worked on a newspaper. He had a journalism background. Many lives up to the state state assembly. He comes into the house for two terms in the early 1870s. He is one of the men who comes up to the floor and talks about the importance of passing the 1875 civil rights bill and gives some speeches that are picked up in the northern press. And they just swoon over him. In one of the speeches, he actually has a Point Counterpoint debate with alexander stevens, the former confederate Vice President , who by that point had come back to the house. And elliott just blows him out of the water. He is so respected and such an ally of senator Charles Sumner, that when sumner passes, shortly before his bill moves through the house and senate, elliott goes and delivers a eulogy at faneuil hall in boston, which is widely picked up in the northern press. He leaves the house midcongress and his second term and goes back to South Carolina because he cares so much about state politics and sees how things are trending at the and of reconstruction, seeing a lot of abuses, and he becomes the speaker of the South Carolina state assembly for a brief period and later goes on to serve at the very tail end of reconstruction as the attorney general for South Carolina. Afterwards though, his story typifies so many of these members. Once reconstruction ends, here youve got a guy who is a great speaker, got a law background, sets up a law practice, but he gets almost no business. Hes forced to move out of state. Eventually in the 1880s he dies and poverty. That is sadly the story of so many of these 19thcentury individuals who leave congress and with the onset of jim crow, their careers just dry up. That speaks to the larger kind of political ramifications at the end of reconstruction and what that meant for the end of black political participation. Ms. Elliott i wanted to point out, what is interesting as a curator and art historian, the way that jim crow is promulgated in the press, you get no business because of racism and jim crow and also it reinforced in the popular press. As we move into the jim crow period, the press and the public, the way the public sees africanamerican slaves presented to them really changes and moves much more toward the caricatures we are familiar with from the very beginning of the 20s century. This is the 1880s. By by 1889, we have this, also showing then yet of what is going on in the capitol, instead of the picture with civil war veterans and interesting women and africanamerican children and adults celebrating outside as citizens who are excited about a new venture and the passage of a civil rights bill, here we are seeing lots of Different Things going on. The very style of this becomes more like a cartoon and in particular i want to draw your attention to this circular area here where they are showing africanamericans in the visitors gallery, called the gentlemans gallery. That is the name of the gallery of the house of the time but it is dripping with sarcasm. It is showing almost entirely africanamericans in there and in the accompanying essay it points out what it wants to point out about this image that it is showing africanamericans who are in the gallery, but not engaged in the process, not interested in what is going on on the floor. It is showing them is reading or sleeping or using it simply as a place to hang out. That is what the accompanying essay says as well. This is a really enormous shift in the National News coverage of africanamerican civic life, and it goes pretty quickly. This is 20 years difference, from seeing this which was all over in the papers at the time, to the 1880s where it is entirely towards a caricature of africanamerican participation in the world of public affairs. But the turning point was at the end of reconstruction, right . Mr. Wasniewski yes, the turning point for this story happens with the end of formal reconstruction where the Union Military forces occupy the south and had kept the reconstruction government in place. That is rolled back in 1877 as part of the disputed election of 1876. Between Samuel Tillman and rutherford hayes. That election gets thrown to congress to decide, and what happens is the house and the senate are controlled by different Political Parties and cannot come to an agreement. So they create a special Electoral Commission composed of five senators, five representatives, five Supreme Court justices. In the results, there were three Southern States that had disputed returns. So what shows up is to different groups. One for tillman, one hayes. The commission comes back and finds in favor of hayes, awarding him those votes. But as part of a political negotiation struck to make him president , the Southern States democrats push republicans to end reconstruction formally. What you see over really a decade, decade and a half, a process where africanamericans are gradually excluded from the political process in the south. It is a combination of state laws that go on the books and local laws that go in the books. Such as poll taxes. But by the 1890s, both through law and through custom in the south, africanamericans are largely no longer part of the political process. And that plays out in congress and that post 1877 period because you see the numbers really drop off in the 1880s. We only have five africanamericans who are serving in congress at various points. Usually its just one or two. Still some prominent individuals. John mercer langston from virginia, a very prominent africanamerican even before the civil war. He had been one of the first blacks in the country elected to Political Office in a town council in ohio. He had a national reputation. After the war, he served as a minister to haiti. Then in the late 1880s, he is elected to a virginia seat and comes into the house, but he is another africanamerican who faces a contested election. And by the time he only gets a seven or eight months term. His ability to legislate is curtailed and that is really the story of a lot of these men who had roadblocks thrown up. Everything from poll taxes that affected constituents to violence at the polls. Now the union army presence, the federal presence in the south had in rolled back. The very last individual who serves during that period is George Henry White of North Carolina. Represented a coastal district in North Carolina that had elected africanamericans before. He serves for two terms in the late 1890s. He is the last africanamerican to serve for really three decades. He very forcefully pushed for two things while he was a member. One was antilynching legislation, which no one had really championed before and he pushes for that. It goes nowhere. It languishes in the Judiciary Committee and never really is debated, but he is out there talking about it on the floor. The other thing he wanted was to, because there were so many blacks being denied Political Rights in the south, he wanted to reduce the representation of Southern States based on the number that were being disenfranchised. These are two issues that can up percolate for the next couple of decades in the house. But there were no africanamericans to champion it. In 1901, white leaves congress. He faces some very tough reelections. A lot of violence, a lot of fraud. He leaves the house. When he does, he gives a speech in february of 1901 which is tremendously moving because he knows he is the last africanamerican who is going to be in congress for a while. He says, phoenixlike, someday the africanamericans in congress will rise again and come back. That takes three decades. Ms. Elliott what i want to show you one of the saddest parts of the artifacts we have. This is one of the saddest artifacts and the house collection, i think. Its a pretty recent acquisition of ours. This is a 1907 prints that was made of all the colored men who have served in the congress of the United States. It is really a testament to the persistence of hope in the African American community. For participation in public life. This is 1907. George white has been gone for six years. Its going to be another two decades before africanamericans returns to congress. This print was done as a memento. In fact, the way it is done is a very popular method of showing a lot of things on the page. Its almost like a scrapbook or a photo album. Some of these images are tilted a little bit, as if artfully placed in a scrapbook. It really is. A scrapbook is a book of disembodied pieces of memories. And in some ways, that is a memory of the past and a promise to the future. The man who printed this had run several africanamerican newspapers. He had an appointment to the Government Printing office and by 1907 all of that had vanished. All of the positions opened to