John Willis Menard born in 1838 in Illinois, was a publisher, politician, and the first African American to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. In the House of Representatives election in 1868, Mr. Menard won 64% of the vote against Mr. Caleb S Hunt, after failing to overcome an election challenge by Mr. Hunt, the House Committee on Elections held a debate to decide whether or not to seat Mr. Menard. During the debate, Mr. Menard became the first African American man to speak on the floor of the House. Mr.Hunt didn’t show up to testify, nor did he present any evidence supporting his claims. Despite this, Congress refused to seat Mr.Menard by a vote of 130 to 57 all because he was a black man.
A then congressman and now former president, James Garfield, confirmed the decision and argued that it was “too early to admit a black person to the U.S. Congress and that seat should be declared vacant, saving the $5,000 salary.
Joseph Hayne Rainey was born into slavery in South Carolina and was the first African American to serve in and preside over the US House of Representatives. While enslaved, Rainey got married and worked as a barber until 1862 when he and his wife escaped to Bermuda. After the war, they returned to Charleston, and in 1870, he was elected to the House of Representatives to complete the term of a former congressman. While serving, Rainey advocated for the Civil Rights Act of 1875. While also advocating for the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, Rainey gave his first major speech, arguing for the use of federal troops to protect African Americans from the Ku Klux Klan. Joseph Rainey was reelected 3 times, serving until 1879.
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