The 47th Congress (1881–1883) convened with two African American Representatives:
Robert Smalls of South Carolina, a formerly enslaved man and Civil War hero known for commandeering a Confederate ship to freedom.
John R. Lynch of Mississippi, who had already made history in 1872 as the youngest Speaker of the Mississippi House and was a strong advocate for civil rights and education.
Their presence in Congress during the post-Reconstruction era was significant, as Black political representation was rapidly being suppressed across the South. Their service stood as a testament to early Black political leadership in America.
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