On September 3, 1868, the Georgia legislature expelled 28 Black representatives from the lower house after they were deemed ineligible to hold office. The event was part of a broader pattern of racial discrimination following the Civil War, especially during Reconstruction, where Southern states resisted integrating newly freed African Americans into political life.

The Georgia legislature’s decision sparked a significant political conflict. In response to the expulsion, Congress refused to admit Georgia to the Union until the state seated the expelled Black representatives. This was part of Congress’s broader Reconstruction efforts to ensure that Southern states adhered to new constitutional amendments that granted civil rights and voting rights to African Americans.

Eventually, Georgia’s legislature was forced to reinstate the expelled Black lawmakers to comply with federal requirements, marking a pivotal moment in the ongoing struggle for civil rights during Reconstruction.