mr. wasniewski: it did not happen right away. the role of the radicals becomes more assertive after the end of the war. after lincoln was assassinated, president johnson takes over and has an even more lenient view than lincoln of how the southern states are going to be readmitted, and he is pushed constantly by the radical republicans. in a short time, roughly for five years, they pass a series of constitutional amendments and also laws that bring about the equality of african-americans in the south and that starts with the passage of the 13th amendment. that is ratified later that year, banning slavery, outlawing slavery once and for all in the u.s. but that was following with major legislation might the civil rights act of 1866, which extended citizenship rights to the freedmen and constitutional amendments like the 14th amendment. the 15th amendment that guaranteed voting rights and also a series of reconstruction acts that divided the south into military districts. they gave power to union districtso run those politically, e

mr. wasniewski: what goes in to place our republican reconstruction governments. from the 1860's, you begin to see are an number of african-american officeholders move into positions of local authority, either on town councils or the state legislatures. they gain a political role in a political voice call -- and a political voice and a number of the african-americans who serve in this time, that is how they move through the ranks very quickly and come into positions where they can be a let it to congress. ms. elliott: who is the first african-american in the house? mr. wasniewski: the first to speak on the floor while the house was in session is a man who was elected, but never seated. he was elected in 1868. his election was contested, and that is the story that runs throughout the 19th century for so many of these african-american members who were elected to congress. their election was challenged in a number of them had that experience. in february 1869, he was allowed to speak on the house floor to defend himself and his contested election case. the house chos

mr. wasniewski: the story is not one everybody is familiar with.e had 22 african-americans served between 1870 and 1901. 20 in the house, two in the