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Capitol Men: The First Black Congressmen
February 24, 2009
Philip Dray historian

Philip Dray tells the the epic story of America's reconstruction through the lives of the first black congressmen. After the ratification of the 15th Amendment, which granted black men suffrage, 16 black southerners were elected to the United States Congress. These Capitol men faced a high degree of hostility and scrutiny upon their arrival in Washington, yet actively pursued civil rights and lasting economic and educational reforms. Dray reveals how these men became a source of inspiration for Americans in the years following the Civil War, and how they laid the groundwork for future civil rights legislation.

History
Activism | African-American Congressmen | African-American history | elected official | racial discrimination | racial history | Military & Warfare | Non-Fiction | Race
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Image of Capitol Men: The Epic Story of Reconstruction Through the Lives of the First BlackCongressmen
Author: Philip Dray
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (2008)
Binding: Hardcover, 480 pages
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