Selection of artifacts from the house collection. The story of how africanamericans come to congress in the 19th century is not one that a lot of people are familiar with. We actually had 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 Stevens who was chairman of the house ways and Means Committee and a very powerful leader. Also people like henry winterdavis, elihu washburne. 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 recons
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, and city end of the speech he says, but, you know, phoenixlike, someday the africanamerican will rise again in congress and come back. That takes three decades. Well, i want to show you what i think is really sort of like that long dry period that happens after white leaves. One of the saddest parts of what the artifacts we have. In fact, this is one of the saddest artifacts in the house of elections, i think, and its a recent acquisition. We havent seen one of these. This is in 1907 print that was made of all its called colored men who have served in had the congress of the United States. It is really a testament to the persistence of hope in its done in 1907. George white has been gone for six years. The world is done. Its a very popular method of showing a lot of the things. As if its a scrap
Africanamerican to be elected in the 19th century please in 1901. George white of north carolina. Before is a long time 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 30s. Before i launch into them, matt, tell us about oscar dupree. 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 time during those decades and that there is a critical thing going on in the south where african begin to leave the south and move northward as part of a multidecade movement that would later be called the great migration. On which to store and you talk to and 1890s and runs through world war ii. It takes up momentum around world war i as there is a need in the north to fill industrial jobs and jobs that have been occup
Century washe 19th george white of North Carolina in 1901. It is a long time before another African American comes into the house. That is oscar dupree from illinois. We have a couple of really rare artifacts from him from the 1920s and 30s. Before i launch into them, matt, tell us about oscar dupree. And how he got into congress. Decades is almost three after George Henry White leaves congress when there are no African Americans who served in the house or senate to that has everything to do with the jim crow laws that go on the books in the south. The way that that changes over time during those decades, there is a critical thing going on in the south were African Americans begin to leave the south and move northward as part of a multidecade movement that would later be called the great migration. That begins, depending on which historian you talk to, the 1890s and runs through world war ii. It picks up momentum around world war i as there is a need in the north to fill industrial job
Okay . So lets just go back and look one way to look at this is to look at the maps that i hate which are just Electoral College which suggest that we live in red or blue states, you know, that we are a certain kind of people. Actually you see, this is a more accurate, you see this has west virginia. It may be that we dont have county level data, okay. Are you less confused . Right . What you did is called our attention to the fact there are brand new states that are just voting for the first time which is another advantage the republicans have. All of these situations actually play to the advantage of the republicans, that they have not only the army but also new states that have been formed under the aegis. Okay . Anybody else have another question . Yes. Theres one on each side. Dr. Ayers, writing a book about the shenendoah valley and activities there, will you address in that book or today the importance of david hunters actions at the battle of piedmont 5 june, his subsequent mov