On this day, the Virginia Constitutional Convention convened in Richmond as part of Reconstruction efforts following the Civil War. For the first time, 25 Black men—many of them formerly enslaved—joined 80 white delegates to draft a new state constitution under the terms of Congressional Reconstruction.
This was a monumental moment in U.S. history, as African Americans were participating in the formal re-creation of a Southern state’s government.
Due to political resistance and legal challenges, the constitution they drafted was not ratified until July 6, 1869. When adopted, it expanded voting rights, created a system of free public education, and established legal protections regardless of race — major advances during the Reconstruction era.
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