combat missions across three wars. watch tonight beginning at 8:00 p.m. eastern and enjoy american history tv every weekend on c-span3. each week american history tv s american artifacts explores the history of the united states through objects. up next, we visit capitol hill to talk to house historian matthew wasniewski and farar elliott and see a selection of artifacts from the house collection. the story of how african-americans come to congress in the 19th century is not one a lot of people are familiar with. we actually have 22 african-americans 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 african-americans, and wanted to create a society in the south after the war that was a multiracial society. these were radicals in the h
not one a lot of people are familiar with. we actually have 22 african-americans serve between 1870 and 1901. 20 in the house. 20 in the house, 2 in the senate. it s 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 african-americans, 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. elahu 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 toward southern states and was going
we visit the cannon office house building to see artifacts that tell the story of african-americans in congress in the 20th century. i m farar elliott, curator at the u.s. house of representatives. i m matt wasniewski. i m the historian at the house of representatives. we wanted to talk about african-american representation in the 20th century and have a lot of artifacts from the house collection that have a lot to do with that and a lot of history to cover. and the last african-american sort of to be elected in the 19th century leaves in 1901, george white of north carolina and then it s a long time before another african-american comes into the house and that is oscar depriest from illinois. and we have a couple of really rare artifacts from oscar depriest from the 1920s and 30s. but before i launch into them, because i love them so much, matt, tell us a little bit about oscar depriest and how he got into congress. so there s a long period. almost three decades aft
elliott about the history of african-americans in dmong the 19th century and a sea of artifacts from the house collection. the story of how african-americans come to congress in the 19th century is not one a lot of people are familiar with. we actually have 22 african-americans 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 african-americans, 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 administrat
the story of how african-americans come to congress in the 19th century is not one a lot of people are familiar with. we actually have 22 african-americans 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 african-americans, 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 no