The story of how africanamericans come to congress in the 19th century is not one a lot of people are familiar with. We actually have 22 africanamericans serve between 1870 and 1901. 20 in the house. 2 in the senate. Largely a house story. And it has to do with the role of congress during the civil war, and in the decade after. During the civil war there were 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 stephens, who was chairman of the ways and Means Committee and a very powerful leader. Also people like henry winter davis. Washburn. In the Senate People like Charles Sumner and benjamin wade. And they really drove the agenda and pushed the Lincoln Administration to not only prosecute the war more vigorously but also to have a reconstruction after the war that was one that was not so lenient to