We visit the Health Office building to see artifacts that tell the story of africanamericans in congress in the 20th century. I am the curator at the u. S. House of representatives. I am the historian. We wanted to talk about the history of africanamerican representation in the 20th century. We have a lot of artifacts from house collections that has to do with that. And a lot of history to cover. The last africanamerican to be elected in the 19th century leaves in 1901. George white of north carolina. Then it is a long time before another africanamerican comes into the house and that is oscar dupree from illinois. We had a couple of rare artifacts from him from the 1920s and 1930s. Before i launch into them, matt, tell us about oscar dupree. Matt almost three decades after George Henry White leaves congress when there are no africanamerican to serve in the house or senate. That has everything to do with the jim crow laws that go on the books in the south. The way that that changes over
Of artifacts and a lot of history to cover and the last African American to be elected in the 19th century leaves in 1901 and then its a long time before another African American comes into the house and we have a couple of really rare artifacts from the 1920s and 30s but before i launch into them tell us about how he got into congress. Theres a long period. Almost three decades after he leaves congress where theres no African Americans either in the house or the senate and that has everything to do with the books and the way that that changes over time is theres a critical thing going on in the south where African Americans leave the south and move northward as part of a multidecade movement that would be called the great migration and that begins depending on which historian you talk to 1890s and runs through world war ii. It picks up momentum around world war i as theres a need in the north to fill industrial jobs and jobs occupied by men that have gone off to fight in the war and y
Of artifacts and a lot of history to cover and the last African American to be elected in the 19th century leaves in 1901 and then its a long time before another African American comes into the house and we have a couple of really rare artifacts from the 1920s and 30s but before i launch into them tell us about how he got into congress. Theres a long period. Almost three decades after he leaves congress where theres no African Americans either in the house or the senate and that has everything to do with the books and the way that that changes over time is theres a critical thing going on in the south where African Americans leave the south and move northward as part of a multidecade movement that would be called the great migration and that begins depending on which historian you talk to 1890s and runs through world war ii. It picks up momentum around world war i as theres a need in the north to fill industrial jobs and jobs occupied by men that have gone off to fight in the war and y
Of artifacts and a lot of history to cover and the last African American to be elected in the 19th century leaves in 1901 and then its a long time before another African American comes into the house and we have a couple of really rare artifacts from the 1920s and 30s but before i launch into them tell us about how he got into congress. Theres a long period. Almost three decades after he leaves congress where theres no African Americans either in the house or the senate and that has everything to do with the books and the way that that changes over time is theres a critical thing going on in the south where African Americans leave the south and move northward as part of a multidecade movement that would be called the great migration and that begins depending on which historian you talk to 1890s and runs through world war ii. It picks up momentum around world war i as theres a need in the north to fill industrial jobs and jobs occupied by men that have gone off to fight in the war and y
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 toward Southern States and was going to ensure that Political Rights were extended to africanamericans. Well, so the war ends in 1 1865, but how do you get from 1865 to the first africanamerican members of congress . Because its not doesnt happen right that day. Doesnt happen right away, but the the role of radicals, if anything, becomes even more assertive after the end of the war. After lincolns 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 hes pushed constantly by the radical republicans. And in a very short period of time, roughly four or five years, they pass a series of constitutional amendments and also laws that bring about the equality of african