On this date in 1872, the Mississippi Legislature convened, and John R. Lynch, at the age of 24, was elected Speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives. This election made him the first African American to hold this position in Mississippi and any state legislature.

Born into slavery on September 10, 1847, in Vidalia, Louisiana, Lynch was freed during the Civil War and moved to Natchez, Mississippi. There, he became active in the Republican Party and was elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives in 1869. His peers recognized his leadership abilities, leading to his election as Speaker in 1872.

Following his tenure as Speaker, Lynch was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1872, serving multiple terms. He was a vocal advocate for civil rights, notably supporting the Civil Rights Act of 1875, which aimed to prohibit racial discrimination in public accommodations.

Lynch’s achievements during the Reconstruction era highlight the significant contributions of African American leaders in shaping post-Civil War American politics.