P.B.S. Pinchback was the first black senator...almost | Black History Moment of the Day
<p>A short chronicle of P.B.S. Pinchback's short stint in the Congressional world.</p>
Black History encapsulates more than a month. This new daily series will take a look at some lesser known events and people in the world.
One of Georgia’s very own was the first elected black Senator of the United States. Well, almost. Macon-born P.B.S. Pinchback’s life started out in the most unusual way. His father was a white Mississippi planter and his mother was a newly freed slave. Pinchback went on to fight for two groups during the Civil War: one white (First Louisiana Volunteers); the other black (Corps d'Afrique).
Following the war, Pinchback became a Republican in New Orleans where he served as a delegate in the constitutional convention. In 1871, Lt. Gov. Oscar Dunn died, so Pinchback filled his role as president of the Senate and serve for 36 days. This would make him the first black US state governor.
Sadly, after finally being elected to Congress in 1873, Pinchback would lose his much sought after seat. This was due to William Pitt Kellogg working with the Ku Klux Klan in order to terrorize black voters. A year later Pinchback again won the seat. And yet it was denied to him due to racial impetus.