African American officeholders from the end of the Civil War until before 1900

More than 1,500 African-American officeholders served during the Reconstruction era (1865–1877) and in the years after Reconstruction before white supremacy, disenfranchisement, and the Democratic Party fully reasserted control in Southern states. Historian Canter Brown Jr. noted that in some states, such as Florida, the highest number of African Americans were elected or appointed to offices after the end of Reconstruction in 1877. The following is a partial list of African-American officeholders from the end of the Civil War until 1899. Dates listed are the year that a term starts or the range of years served if multiple terms.

U.S. Senate

Blanche Bruce – Mississippi 1875–1881 P. B. S. Pinchback – Louisiana 1873, elected but the Senate refused to seat him (also Louisiana Lt. Governor, Louisiana Senate, acting Louisiana Governor, Louisiana Constitutional Convention) Hiram Rhodes Revels – Mississippi 1870 (also Mississippi Secretary of State)

U.S. House of Representatives

Richard H. Cain – South Carolina 1873–1875, 1877–1879 (also South Carolina Senate, House, Constitutional Congress) Henry P. Cheatham – North Carolina 1889–1894 Robert C. De Large – South Carolina 1871–1873 (also South Carolina House, South Carolina Constitutional Convention, and State Land Commissioner) Robert B. Elliott – South Carolina 1871–1874 (also South Carolina House, South Carolina Attorney General, South Carolina Constitutional Convention, South Carolina Senate, city council) Jeremiah Haralson – Alabama 1875–1877 (also Alabama Senate and Alabama House) John Adams Hyman – North Carolina 1875–1877 (also North Carolina Senate and North Carolina Constitutional Convention) John Mercer Langston – Virginia 1890–1891 (also U.S. Minister to Haiti) Jefferson F. Long – Georgia 1871 John R. Lynch – Mississippi 1873–1877, 1882–1883 (also speaker of the Mississippi House) John Willis Menard – Louisiana 1868, elected but not seated Thomas E. Miller – South Carolina September 24, 1890 – March 3, 1891 (also South Carolina Senate, South Carolina House, and South Carolina Constitutional Convention) George W. Murray – South Carolina 1893–1897 Charles E. Nash – Louisiana 1875 –1877 James E. O'Hara – North Carolina 1883–1887 (also North Carolina House) Samuel Peters – Louisiana, 1872 elected but died before being seated Joseph H. Rainey – South Carolina 1870–1879 (also South Carolina Senate and South Carolina Constitutional Convention) Alonzo J. Ransier – South Carolina 1873–1875 (also South Carolina Lt. Governor and Constitutional Convention) James T. Rapier – Alabama 1873–1875 (also Alabama Constitutional Convention) Robert Smalls – South Carolina 1875–1879, 1882–1887 (also South Carolina Senate, South Carolina House, and Constitutional Convention) Benjamin Sterling Turner – Alabama 1871–1873 Josiah T. Walls – Florida 1871–1876 (also Florida House, Florida Senate, and Florida Constitutional Convention) George Henry White – North Carolina 1897–1901 (also North Carolina House and North Carolina Senate)

Alabama Between 1868 and 1878, more than 100 African Americans served in the Alabama Legislature.

Alabama Senate Alexander H. Curtis – Perry County 1872–1876 (also Alabama House and Alabama Constitutional Convention) D. J. Daniels – Russell County 1872 James K. Greene – Hale County 1874–1876 (also Alabama House) Jeremiah Haralson – Dallas County 1872–1876 (also Alabama House and U.S. Congress) John W. Jones – Lowndes County 1872–1876 Lloyd Leftwich – Greene County 1872–1876 Benjamin F. Royal – Bullock County 1868–1876

Alabama House of Representatives Benjamin F. Alexander – Greene County 1868 (also Alabama Constitutional Convention) G. W. Allen – Bullock County 1874 James H. Alston – Macon County 1868–1879 Matt Avery – Perry County 1867 Elijah Baldwin – Wilcox County 1874–1878 Granville Bennett – Sumter County 1874 Samuel Blandon – Lee County 1868 William H. Blevins – Dallas County 1874–1878 James Bliss – Sumter County 1874 Matthew Boyd – Perry County 1874 George W. Braxdell – Talladega County 1870 Nathan A. Brewington – Lowndes County 1868 Richard Burke – Sumter County 1868 John Carraway – Mobile County 1868 (Speaker of the House) Hugh A. Carson – Lowndes County 1876–1880 (also Alabama Constitutional Convention) William E. Carson – Lowndes County 1872 Hershel V. Cashin – Montgomery County 1874–1878 Thomas Clark – Barbour County 1870 Thomas J. Clarke – Barbour County 1872 Henry A. Cochran – Dallas County 1870, 1872 Elijah Cook – Montgomery County 1874 George Cox – Montgomery County 1868 Henry H. Craig – Montgomery County 1870 Alexander H. Curtis – Perry County 1870 (also Alabama Senate and Alabama Constitutional Convention) D. J. Daniels – Russell County 1874 Thomas Diggs – Barbour County 1868–1872 (also Alabama Constitutional Convention) Mentor Dotson – Sumter County 1872 John Dozier – Perry County 1870–1874 Joseph Drawn – Dallas County 1868 Hales Ellsworth – Montgomery County 1872 George English – Wilcox County 1878 Charles Fagan – Montgomery County 1874 Samuel Fantroy – Barbour County 1872 Adam Gachet – Barbour County 1874 Prince Gardner – Russell County 1874 William Gaskin – Lowndes County 1870–1876 Edward Gee – Dallas County 1870 Captain Gilmer – Montgomery County 1876 Joseph H. Goldsby – Dallas County 1872 James K. Greene – Hale County 1868–1874 (also Alabama Senate) Ovide Gregory – Mobile County 1868 (also Alabama Constitutional Convention) Jeremiah Haralson – Dallas County 1870 (also Alabama Senate and U.S. Congress) Charles E. Harris – Dallas County 1874 Charles O. Harris – Montgomery County 1876 D. H. Hill – Bullock County 1868 George Houston – Sumter County 1868 Benjamin Inge – Sumter County 1868 A. W. Johnson – Macon County 1874 R. L. Johnson – Dallas County 1870–1874 Green T. Johnston – Dallas County 1876 Columbus Jones – Madison County 1868 (also Alabama Constitutional Convention) Reuben Jones – Madison County 1872 Shandy W. Jones – Tuscaloosa County 1868 Horace King – Russell County 1868–1872 David Law – Barbour County 1868 Samuel Lee – Lowndes County 1874 Thomas Lee – Perry County 1868 Greene S. W. Lewis – Perry County 1868, 1872–1878 (also Alabama Constitutional Convention) Edwin C. Locke – Wilcox County 1874 Jacob Martin – Dallas County 1874 Perry Matthews – Bullock County 1872–1876 January Maull – Lowndes County 1872 Jefferson McCalley – Madison County 1868 Willis Merriwether – Wilcox County 1872–1876 G. R. Miller – Russell County 1872 Edward Odum – Barbour County 1874 George Patterson – Macon County 1872–1876 Samuel J. Patterson – Autauga County 1872 Robert Reed – Sumter County 1872–1876 Bristo W. Reese – Hale County 1872–1876 H. W. W. Rice – Talladega County 1868 A. G. Richardson – Wilcox County 1868 Henry St. Clair – Macon County 1870–1874 James Shaw – Mobile County 1868 Charles Smith – Bullock County 1874 Nimrod Snoddy – Greene County 1876 Lawrence S. Speed – Bullock County 1868–1874 Lawson Steele – Montgomery County 1872 William J. Stevens – Dallas County 1876 W. L. Taylor – Chambers County 1868 William Taylor – Sumter County 1872 Holland Thompson – Montgomery County 1868–1872 Frank H. Threatt – Marengo County J. R. Treadwell – Russell County 1872 William V. Turner – Elmore County 1868 Mansfield Tyler – Lowndes County 1870 Thomas H. Walker – Dallas County 1872 Spencer Weaver – Dallas County 1868 Levi Wells – Marengo County 1870 A. E. Williams – Barbour County 1872–1876 L. J. Williams – Montgomery County 1868–1874 J. R. Witherspoon – Perry County 1874 Manly Wynne – Hale County 1874 Henry Young – Lowndes County 1868

Alabama Constitutional Convention Benjamin F. Alexander – Greene County 1867 (also Alabama House) Moses B. Avery – Montgomery County 1867 Samuel Blanden – Lee County 1867 John Carroway – Mobile County 1867 Hugh A. Carson – Lowndes County 1875 (also Alabama House) Alexander H. Curtis – Perry County 1875 (also Alabama House and Alabama Senate) Thomas Diggs – Barbour County 1867 (also Alabama House) Peyton Finley – Montgomery County 1867 J. K. Greene – Hale County 1867 Ovid Gregory – Mobile County 1867 (also Alabama House) Jack Hatcher – Dallas County 1867 Benjamin Inge – Sumter County 1867 Washington Johnson – Russell County 1867 Columbus Jones – Madison County 1867 (also Alabama House) L. S. Latham – Bullock County 1867 Thomas Lee – Perry County 1867 Greene S. W. Lewis – Perry County 1875 (also Alabama House) B. F. Royal – Bullock County 1867 Henry Stokes – Dallas County 1867

Other state offices William Hooper Councill – assistant engrossing clerk in the Alabama Legislature 1872, 1874 Phillip Joseph – engrossing clerk in the Alabama Legislature 1872

Federal offices Granville Bennett – postmaster of Catherine September 1, 1890 – January 15, 1891 John P. Billingsley – postmaster of Marion March 25, 1874 – July 18, 1882 Charles W. Childs – postmaster of Marion February 12, 1890 – October 28, 1893 James F. Childs – postmaster of Marion July 18, 1882 – December 5, 1885 Anthony R. Davison – postmaster of Lovan August 1, 1889 – October 28, 1891; March 28, 1890 – April 17, 1893 John W. Davison – postmaster of Lovan March 25, 1890 – October 28, 1891 Howell L. Goins – postmaster of Northport November 25, 1889 – March 17, 1890 Rufus L. Gomez – postmaster of Luverne March 28, 1889 – October 5, 1889 Jordan Hatcher – postmaster of Cahaba September 7, 1869 – September 26, 1882 John W. Jones – postmaster of Hayneville June 6, 1882 – October 17, 1887

Local offices S. L. David – mayor of Hobson City 1899

Arkansas Between 1868 and 1893, 85 men noted as "colored" or "mulatto" were elected to the Arkansas legislature. Initially, they served under the 1868 Arkansas Constitution that granted them the right to vote and hold office. The Democrats retook control of the state government and instituted the 1874 Constitution. As a result, after 1893, the next African American to serve as an Arkansas state legislator was in 1973.

Arkansas Senate George W. Bell – Desha and Chicot counties 1891, 1893 Richard A. Dawson – Jefferson County 1873, 1874 (also Arkansas House) William Henry Grey – Phillips County 1875 (also Arkansas House, Arkansas Constitutional Convention, and Arkansas Commissioner of Immigration and State Lands) Samuel H. Holland – Ashley, Chicot, Drew, and Desha counties 1873, 1874 W. H. Logan – Chicot and Desha counties 1887, 1889 James W. Mason – Ashley, Chicot, Drew, Desha and counties 1868, 1871 (also Arkansas Constitutional Convention, postmaster, and judge) Anthony Stanford – Lee and Phillips counties 1877, 1879 James T. White – Phillips and Monroe counties 1871 (also Arkansas House and Arkansas Constitutional Convention) Ruben B. White – Pulaski and White counties 1873, 1874 John Willis Williams – Phillips County 1874

Arkansas House of Representatives Benjamin Frank Adair – Pulaski County 1891 James M. Alexander – Phillips County 1871 (also justice of the peace) Isaac George Bailey – Desha County 1885 Conway Barbour – Lafayette County 1871 Austin Barrow – Phillips County 1871Work, Monroe N., and Staples, Thomas S. (January 1920). "Some Negro Members of Reconstruction Conventions and Legislatures and of Congress" (PDF). The Journal of Negro History. 5 (1): 68. Retrieved January 11, 2023. Peter H. Booth – Jefferson County 1893 Levi B. Boston – Jefferson County 1874 Joseph H. Bradford – Mississippi County 1885 Joseph B. Brooks – Lafayette County 1885 Cornelius "Neal" Brown – Pulaski County 1873 Crockett Brown – Lee County 1877 Hal B. Burton – Jefferson County 1887 John H. Carr – Phillips County 1889–1894 Barry Coleman – Phillips County 1874 and 1877 William L. Copeland – Crittenden County 1873–1875 Lawrence Crute – Chicot County 1873 Richard A. Dawson – Jefferson County 1879 (also Arkansas Senate) Sebron Williams Dawson – Jefferson County 1889–1892