African-American officeholders in the United States, 1789–1866

In 1836, Alexander L. Twilight became the first African American to be elected as a state legislator in the United States.

The United States has had five African-American elected office holders prior to 1867. After Congress passed the First Military Reconstruction Act of 1867 and ratified the Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1870, African Americans began to be elected or appointed to national, state, county and local offices throughout the United States.[1]

Four of the five office holders served in a New England state. Three officeholders served as a state legislator.

List of African-American Officeholders of the United States, 1789–1866

Political Parties

  Party affiliation not known   Republican

Officeholder State Public office Took office Left office Party Ref.
No image.svg
Wentworth Cheswell
(1746–1817)
New Hampshire Local School Board 1776 [4][5][6]
Justice of the Peace 1805 1817
Twi dag att.JPG
Alexander L. Twilight
(1795–1857)
Vermont State Legislator 1836 1857 [7][8][9][10]
John M. Langston.jpg
John Mercer Langston
(1829–1897)
Ohio Township Clerk 1854 Liberty Party of Ohio [11][12][13]
Edwin Walker.jpg
Edward G. Walker
(1831–1901)
Massachusetts State Legislator 1866 1867 Republican [14][15][16]
No image.svg
Charles L. Mitchell
(1829–1912)
Massachusetts State Legislator 1866 Republican [15]

See also

Federal government

State and local government

References

Bibliography

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