Joseph Rainey: 150th Anniversary Exhibition
- U.S. Capitol, House Connecting Corridor
- December 2020–present
The Joseph Rainey: 150th Anniversary exhibition celebrates the pathbreaking accomplishment of Joseph Rainey of South Carolina. On December 12, 1870, Rainey took the oath of office, becoming the first African American in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The exhibition, now open in the first floor House Connecting Corridor, highlights Rainey’s impact and that of other African-American Representatives who followed in his footsteps. The power and importance of African-American voting rights are at the heart of the exhibition. Artifacts, documents, historical images, and the words of African-American legislators highlight the tumultuous history of securing those rights.
To learn more about the Joseph Rainey: 150th Anniversary exhibition, contact the Office of Art & Archives at art@mail.house.gov or 202-226-1300.
Take a look at the exhibition and a few of its featured objects.
Item 1/10 |
Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives Learn more about Joseph Hayne Rainey, and about this object. |
Item 2/10 |
Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives Learn more about this object. |
Item 3/10 |
Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives Learn more about Benjamin Franklin Butler, and about this object. |
Item 4/10 |
Image courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration Learn more about this record. |
Item 5/10 |
Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives Learn more about William Levi Dawson. |
Item 6/10 |
Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives Learn more about Augustus Freeman (Gus) Hawkins, and about this object. |
Item 7/10 |
Image courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration Learn more about this record. |
Item 8/10 |
Image courtesy of the Library of Congress Learn more about Barbara Charline Jordan. |
Item 9/10 |
Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives Learn more about Shirley Anita Chisholm, and about this object. |
Item 10/10 |
