-described the attempt by Democrats to present Revels seating as the nation’s first black Senator
“A white Democrat from New Jersey, Mr. Stockton, took a motion challenging Revel’s credentials to the judiciary committee
-the challenge was defeated by a party vote; 48 Republicans voted in Revels favor, 8 Democrats voted against Revels
“Mr. Revels took the seat assigned to him, on the Republican side, where a number of Senators and others tendered him congratulations.”
-Revels took the seat once held by the U.S. Senator Jefferson Davis of Mississippi, who left the SEnate in 1861 to become President of the slaveholding Confederate States of America
***The irony that a black Republican Senator had taken the same seat once held by racist Democrat Jefferson Davis
-Revels was asked if Georgia should be permitted to come back into the United States who strongly supported the readmission of Georgia
***this meant that allowing Georgia back in would mean that newly freed blacks in Georgia would have a voice at the federal level
Revels declared:
-He stood on the floor to appeal for protection from the strong arm of government irrespective of color and race
-he spoke in particular for the citizens of the southern States such as Georgia
“The race which the nation raised from the degradation of slavery and endowed with the full and unqualified rights and privileges of citizenship—ask but the rights which are theirs by God’s universal law…”
“Let me say further, that the people of the North owe to the colored race a deep obligation which it is no easy matter to fulfill.”
Benjamin Turner of Alabama
-Turner was a slave during the Civil War but within five years after the war had become a wealthy and prosperous businessman
Robert De Large of South Carolina
-De Large was born slave but within three years from the end of the War he was serving in the State House
-he chaired the Republican Party’s Platform Committee
-he became a statewide elected official
Josiah Walls of Florida
-Walls was a slave during the Civil War and was forced to fight for the Confederate ARmy
-after he was captured by the Union troops, he enlisted as a Union soldier and became an officer
-after his election, the Democrats challenged his credentials so sent him home twice
-he was re-elected after the first challenge, but during the second challenge, Democrats regained control of Florida and he was prevented from returning
Jefferson Long of Georgia
-Long was born a slave
-he was self-educated and built a thriving business
-when elected to Congress as a Republican, democrats boycotted his business, causing him great financial losses
***Long was the 1st black American to deliver a congressional speech on the U.S. House floor
Joseph Hayne Rainey of South Carolina:
-Rainey was born a slave
-he served briefly as Speaker of the U.S. House
-1st African American elected to the U.S. House
-he was the first of twenty-three black Americans elected to the U.S. Congress (13 of them had been slaves)
-he was in Congress longer than any other black American from that era
Robert Brown Elliot of South Carolina
-he was well educated, reading in Spanish, French, and Latin
-in Congress, he led in the passage of civil rights bills in the face of opposition of congressional Democrats
-he became Speaker of the House in the State legislature
Pg. 66 Georgia is readmitted
-Rev. Hiram Rhodes Revels was the first black American to serve in the U.S. Senate
-Blanche Kelso Bruce, of Mississippi, was the first black American to serve a full term in the Senate, a Republican
–Bruce, a Republican, also received an appointment to a federal post by A. Garfield
-a portrait of Bruce today hangs on the Senate side of the U.S. Capital
-Edward Brooke, of Massachusetts, was the first to be elected in a statewide vote, a Republican
So Powerful: Chosen by the People
**Prior to the adoption of the 17th Amendment to the Constitution in 1913, the U.S. Senators for a State were chosen by the State Legislature, and both Revels and Bruce were chosen in this manner; however, Edward Brooke was the first black Senator chosen by the people in a statewide election
Democrat:
-Carol Moseley-Braum, of Illinois, 4th black American to serve in the U.S. Senate but the 1st Democrat
-Barack Obama, of Illinois, was only the 2nd black Democratic U.S. Senator
-Democrats did not elect their first black American to the U.S. House until 1935
-that black Member was from Illinois, a northern state, in which blacks had always been free
-in 5 years, black Americans had gone from being slaves to becoming members of Congress
-all of them home or self educated
Pg. 67 1973
-first black Americans from the South were elected to Congress as Democrats
-Barbara Jordan, of Texas
-Andrew Young, of Georgia
**they were only elected after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the gerrymandered district lines that southern Democratic State Legislatures had drawn that kept blacks from being elected
(Democrats still did not want blacks in seats)
***southern Democrats not only despised blacks and Republicans but they utilized every means possible to keep them from voting
-U.S. Senator Roscoe Conkling, nominated as U.S. Supreme Court Justice, concluded that the Democratic Party was determined to exterminate blacks in those States where Democratic supremacy was threatened
-Republican Congress trying to stop the extermination of black voters passed the 15th Amendment, explicitly guaranteeing voting rights for blacks
Pg. 68 The 15th Amendment
-final of the three post-war civil rights Amendments
-the first-ever constitutional expansion of voting rights
-like the 13th and 14th Amendments-it was passed on partisan lines
-not one of the 56 Democrats in Congress at the time voted for the 15th Amendment
-not one Democrat in either the North or thel South supported granting explicit voting rights to black Americans
-despite the opposition from Democrats, the 15th Amendment did pass entirely by Republicans
-the passage was greeted by black voters with much rejoicing
Wendell Phillips:
-a leading abolitionist
“WE have washed color out of the Constitution!"
1866:
-Republicans passed a bill making is illegal to deprive a person of civil rights because of race, color, or previous servitude
-Democrats opposed this bill
-Democrat President, Andrew Johnson, vetoed it
-Republicans overrode the veto and both black and white civil rights advocates celebrated
-another bill passed protecting marriages of blacks
-another bill passed prohibiting slave-hunting
1867:
-5 more civil rights laws were passed, providing voting rights and for the enforcement and protection of other civil rights
-President, Andrew Johnson, vetoed 3 of the 5 bills
-Republicans again overrode his vetoes
1868:
-Republicans passed two more civil rights bills
1869:
-Republicans passed one more civil rights bills
1870:
-Republicans passed four more civil rights bills
1871:
-Republicans passed two more civil rights bills
-a bill that allowed the federal government to punish Klan violence
Representative Robert Brown Elliott:
-during the debates, Representative Robert Brown Elliott, of South Carolina, addressed the issue of southern violence and developed a compelling speech:
“I do not wish to be understood as speaking for the colored man alone when I demand instant protection for the loyal men of the South. No sir–my demand is not so restricted…The white Republican of the South is also hunted down and murdered or scourged for his opinion’s sake, and during the past two years more than six hundred loyal men of both races have perished in my State alone. Yet, sir, it is true that these masked murderers strike chiefly at the black race—simply because he exercises his privileges as an American freeman.”
-during the debates, Representative Joseph Hayne Raines, of South Carolina, also delivered a powerful speech explaining why blacks were most often the targets of Klan violence:
“When we call to mind the fact that this Klan persecution is waged against men for the simple reason that they dare vote with the Republican Party that saved the union intact…”
“Why do not the courts of law afford redress?”
“The courts of law are under control of those Democrats who are enemies to the impartial administration of law and equity.”
“Negroes—numbering one-eighth of the population of these United States–would only cast their votes in the interest of the Democratic Party, all open measures of violence against them would be immediately suspended and their rights as American citizens recognized.”
“The entire membership of the Democratic Party, that upon your hands rests the blood of the loyal men of the South. The stain is there to prove your criminality before God and the world on the day of retribution which will surely come.”
“I can say for my people that we are fully determined to stand by the Republican Pary and the government….”
“We have resolved to be loyal and firm, and as Queen Esther said long ago, if we perish, we perish! I earnestly hope the bill will pass.”
***the bill did pass, but only over the united opposition of the Democrats; not one Democrat on either the North or South side supported the civil rights bill to punish Klan violence
1873:
-Republicans passed one more civil rights bills
1875:
-Republicans passed one more civil rights bills
-black Americans again played a significant role in the debates on a civil rights bill
-this bill prohibits segregation and racial discrimination
Representative Richard Cain:
-during the debates, Representative Richard Cain, of South Carolina, a clergyman and bishop of the AME denomination and strong political leader forcefully rebutted the Democrats; arguments in favor of segregation and discrimination
“The civil rights bill simply declares this: that there shall be no discrimination between citizens of this land so far as the laws of the land are concerned. I can find no fault with that. The great living principle of the American government is that all men are free.”
“Under that folds of that noble flag, repose in peace and protection…Yet because, forsooth in truth, God Almighty made the face of the Negro black, Democrats, would deny him that right though he be a man…Mr. Speaker, I regard the civil rights bill as among the best measures that ever came before congress.”
“I have no fear for the future…I have faith in this country…The great principle which underlies our government–of liberty, of justice, of right–will eventually prevail in this land and we shall enjoy equal rights under the laws…Let the laws of this country be just; let the laws of the county be equitable; this is all we ask, and we will take our chances under the laws in this land…”
“All we ask of this country is to put no barriers between us–to lay no stumbling blocks in our way, to give us freedom to accomplish our destiny.. Do this sir, and we shall ask nothing more.”
-despite the powerful speeches, Democrats continued their relentless attacks against the bill
-artists of the day created illustrations depicting the verbal battle between the black Republican, Robert Brown Elliott and racist Democrat Alexander Stephens, the former Vice President of the Confederacy who was now leader of the Democrats’ arguments against civil rights bill
Pg. 75 Elliot’s rebuttal of Stephens:
-Elliot explained how black AMericans had long fought for American freedom
Tall granite shaft in Connecticut bears the names of the sons who fell in defending Fort Griswold:
-Jordan Freeman and other brave men of African race who there cemented with their blood the cornerstone of the Republic during the Revolutionary War
-Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812 under the immortal Jackson, a colored regiment
-during the Civil War in 1861, the Negro, true to that patriotism and love of country that have ever characterized and marked his history on this continent
***true history removed the harness of the oppresses
***the Declaration of Independence redeemed the reputation of the oppressors
-Elliott’s response did not convert Alexander Stephens or the other Democrats
***Democrats response was that blacks could not be intelligent enough to be great orators
-Democrats accused Elliott of having someone else of writing his speech
Rep. John Roy Lynch, of Mississippi
-delivered his speech on the house floor regarding the civil rights bill
“You (Republicans) have stood by the colored people of this country when it was more unpopular to do so than it is to pass this bill. You have fulfilled every promise thus far, and I have no reason to believe that you will not fulfill this one.”
-the bill did pass, but not a single one of the 114 Democrats in Congress voted for that civil rights bill
-all civil rights bills were passed by Republicans vs. unanimous opposition of Democrats
Pg. 80 President Ulysses S. Grant:
-the last nine civil rights were passed
-he signed all the bills; not vetoed them
By 1875:
-a decade after the Civil War, Republicans had successfully passed almost two-dozen civil rights laws
-black American legislators played significant roles in the debates surrounding
***it would be another 89 years before the next civil rights law was passes
WHY?
1876:
-Democrats gained control of the U.S. House in 1876
-Democrats brought Reconstruction to a close
-federal troops were withdrawn from the the South
-removing the final protective barrier between black Americans and those Democrats wanting to violate those new-found civil rights
-the federal protection was crucial to black Americans at that time
Ex. Republican election official from Mississippi
“The Rebels never needed protection; they have had it all the time; it is only the Republicans – the Negroes especially – who need protection
-the reason for the 1876 withdrawal of federal troops from the South has been the results of the presidential election between Republican Rutherford B. Hayes and Democrat Samuel Tilden
