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 notable African American officeholders from the end of the Civil War until before 1900. Dates listed are the year that a term states or the range of years served if multiple terms.

U.S. Senate

U.S. House of Representatives

Alabama

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

Alabama Senate

Alabama House of Representatives

Alabama Constitutional Convention

Other state offices

Federal offices

Local offices

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 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

Arkansas House of Representatives

Arkansas Constitutional Convention

Other state offices

Federal offices

Local offices

California

Local offices

Colorado

Colorado House of Representatives

Other state offices

Florida

Florida Senate

Florida House of Representatives

Constitutional conventions

During the Florida Constitutional Convention of 1868, 18 of 46 elected delegates were Black. At the 1885 Constitutional Convention seven of the 63 delegates were Black.

Florida Constitutional Convention of 1868

Florida Constitutional Convention of 1885

Other state offices

Federal offices

Local offices

Georgia

In Georgia, 69 African Americans served in the state legislature or as delegates to the state's constitutional convention between 1867 and 1872.

Georgia State Senate

Georgia House of Representatives

Georgia Constitutional Convention

Federal offices

Local offices

Idaho

Federal offices

Illinois

Illinois House of Representatives

Indiana

Indiana did not have African American legislators until after the Reconstruction era.

Indiana House of Representatives

Federal offices

Kansas

Kansas did not have African American legislators until after the Reconstruction era.

Kansas House of Representatives

Other state offices

Federal offices

Local offices

Kentucky

Federal offices

Louisiana

Through 1900, 24 African Americans served in the Louisiana Senate during Reconstruction; more than 100 served in the Louisiana House of Representatives. In addition, six African American men held statewide offices in Louisiana, including the nation's first African American acting governors.

Louisiana Governor

Louisiana lieutenant governor

Louisiana State Senate

Louisiana House of Representatives

Louisiana Constitutional Convention

Other state offices

Federal offices

Local offices

Maryland

Federal offices

Local offices

Massachusetts

Massachusetts House of Representatives

Local offices

Michigan

Michigan House of Representatives

Other state offices

Minnesota

Minnesota did not have any African American legislators until after the Reconstruction era.

Minnesota House of Representatives

Mississippi

The Mississippi Plan was part of an organized campaign of terror and violence used by the Democratic Party and Ku Klux Klan to disenfranchise African Americans in Mississippi, block them from holding office, end Reconstruction, and restore white supremacy in the state. Nevertheless, many African Americans served in its legislature and Mississippi was the only state that elected African American candidates to the U.S. Senate during the Reconstruction era; a total of 37 African Americans served in the Senate and 117 served in the House.

Mississippi Lieutenant Governor

Mississippi Secretary of State

Mississippi State Senate

Mississippi House of Representatives

Mississippi Constitutional Convention

Other state offices

Federal offices

Local offices

Missouri

Federal positions

Nebraska

Nebraska House of Representatives

New York

Local offices

North Carolina

North Carolina Senate

North Carolina House of Representatives

North Carolina Constitutional Convention

Federal offices

Ohio

Ohio Senate

Ohio House of Representatives

Federal offices

Local offices

Oklahoma

Federal offices

Local offices

Pennsylvania

Federal offices

Local offices

Rhode Island

Rhode Island General Assembly

South Carolina

During Reconstruction, South Carolina was the only state whose legislature was majority African American. Eric Foner says 29 African Americans served in the South Carolina Senate, and 210 African Americans served in the South Carolina House of Representatives. In addition, 72 African Americans participated in the 1868 South Carolina Constitutional Convention. Many others served in various state or local offices ranging from Lt. Governor to justice of the peace.

South Carolina Lt. Governor

South Carolina Senate

South Carolina House of Representatives

South Carolina Constitutional Convention

Other state offices

Federal offices

Local offices

Tennessee

Only one African American served in the Tennessee Legislature during the 1870s, but more than a dozen followed in the 1880s as Republicans retook the governorship. They advocated for schools for African Americans, spoke against segregated public facilities, and advocated for voting rights protections.

Tennessee House of Representatives

Other state offices

Other state and federal offices

Local offices

Texas

During the Reconstruction era, four African Americans won election to the Texas Senate and 32 to the Texas House of Representatives.

Texas Senate

Texas House of Representatives

Texas Constitutional Convention

Federal offices

Local offices

Vermont

Local offices

Virginia

In 2012, the Virginia Senate enacted Joint Resolution No. 89, recognizing that Reconstruction in Virginia lasted from 1869 to 1890 due to Jim Crow laws; federal Reconstruction ended in 1877.

Senate of Virginia

Virginia House of Delegates

Virginia Constitutional Convention

Federal offices

Local offices

Washington

Washington did not have any African American legislators during Reconstruction.

Washington House of Representatives

West Virginia

West Virginia did not have any African American legislators during the Reconstruction.

West Virginia House of Delegates

Wyoming

Wyoming did not have any African American legislators during Reconstruction.

Wyoming Territorial House of Representatives

Washington, D.C.

Federal offices

House of Delegates

Local offices