On August 1, 1867, General Philip H. Sheridan, who was overseeing the Reconstruction efforts in Louisiana, dismissed the New Orleans Board of Aldermen. He replaced the board with new appointees, including several African Americans, marking a significant step in the push for racial equality and representation during the Reconstruction period.

Sheridan’s action was part of the broader efforts to reshape the political landscape in the Southern states following the Civil War. By appointing African Americans to public offices, Sheridan aimed to ensure that Black citizens were represented in local government. This move was part of a larger trend during Reconstruction, when African Americans began to gain political power, although these gains would later be rolled back in the post-Reconstruction era.