In the 1873 Mississippi state election, African Americans achieved unprecedented political success during the Reconstruction era. Alexander K. Davis was elected Lieutenant Governor, James Hill became Secretary of State, and T.W. Cardozo was elected Superintendent of Education.
Additionally, Black legislators won 55 of 115 seats in the Mississippi House of Representatives and 9 of 37 seats in the State Senate — making up 42% of the state legislature. These victories marked one of the highest levels of Black political representation in the South during Reconstruction and were a testament to the political mobilization of formerly enslaved people in the post-Civil War era.
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