Hiram R. Revels

Hiram Rhodes Revels was born a free man. Mr. Revels was born on September 27, 1827 in Fayetteville, North Carolina where his father was a preacher. He attended a small school, despite education being illegal for children of color in his state, and he worked as a barber. Revels may seem to have lived a humble life, but that was far from the truth. Hiram Revels attended Knox College and would become a minister, just as his father did. He traveled across the country and when he was arrested for preaching religion to a Black congregation, he still pushed through. During the Civil War, Revels served, fighting in a few battles with his two Black regiments including the Battle of Vicksburg. Furthermore, Revels would travel to Mississippi, where he would assist in rebuilding the country in the reconstruction era. Here, Hiram Rhodes Revels would become the first Black senator in American history. Revels overcame impossible odds by being a person of color and being in the US senate. He acted as a beacon of hope for people across the country whether it was in a senator’s office or on the streets of a fallen nation. During his time in office, Revels would lead the way for countless freedoms for his people, all the while avoiding unnecessary conflict and showing unwavering compassion. Revels should be an inspiration for all Americans and a prime example of how people can overcome great odds and accomplish their goals.

The position of senator within the United States government has always been a position that comes with much power. Hiram Revels was granted the aforementioned power when he was elected in 1869. Senators at the time were not too energetic with their efforts to achieve equality among all people in the United States; however, Revels used his power to advocate for his people. This was exemplified when during his time in office, Revels sought to desegregate schools and places of work that demanded long hours of physical work (Britannica Editors). The professions previously mentioned were usually very physically taxing and required long days for minimal pay. Unfortunately, exclusively people of color carried out these tasks, reducing them to staying within the lower classes of society. Revels fought for a revision to this which would allow African Americans to climb upwards both socially and financially. He hated seeing his recently freed brothers and sisters restricted to living a life not so different from the ones they had escaped. Much of his effort as senator was spent in the fight for equality within a country that thought of people like him as more property than human. Furthermore, education for Black Americans was not equitable in comparison to that of White Americans. This induced African Americans to not be able to acquire well-paying, less physical occupations. To further prove the argument, “He quickly grew to be a respected member of the community, known for his keen intelligence and oratorical skills. Although he had no previous government experience, Revels garnered enough community support to win election to the position of alderman in 1868” (Biography.com Editors). The community around him supported and admired him for his ability to defend the rights of African Americans. He demonstrated his ability to use power for the betterment of everyone (he was a pastor and a professor before his time in politics). The people of Mississippi voted for him because he would fight for them and not just stand aside while people of color suffered. Also, he did not inspire hatred among races, but rather for everyone to be able to look at the other man and see an equal. Revels believed that everyone deserved a fair chance to succeed; therefore, in Mississippi he worked with the Freedmen's Bureau to create schools for African American children (“Guess”). He knew first hand how important education was to an individual’s livelihood. The creation of schools for African Americans was very important to him and millions of other African Americans. The improvement of African American education was momentous in the enabling of African Americans to not be looked down upon by Whites in America. Likewise, they could now work in jobs where they were sufficiently paid for their work.

     Hiram Revels had impressive insight. Even without any political experience, he managed to think about the big picture to make ultimately vital calls for the future of America and for the safety of his people. The issue of the Confederate States of America was among the greatest in terms of Revels’ more governmental issues and “He did not want to anger the previously disenfranchised Confederate senators and increase the ‘race friction’ between southerners and people of color” (Britannica Editors). Sparking this ‘friction’ would simply be counterproductive. As mentioned before, Revels wanted Black and White Americans to live together as equals. Creating hate was working against his goals. Revels would ensure this in countless examples. In one example, “Revels voted to forgive officials from the secessionist states, who had broken their oaths to uphold the Constitution” (“Hiram”). This decision was a very selfless one. As mentioned, the Confederacy was founded off of horrific values, completely contrary to Revels’. Despite this, Revels saw the bigger picture and realized that politically, the best decision was the difficult one. Revels knew that the Democrats did not appreciate his presence at Washington. He opted to allow the ex-Confederate leaders to keep their power as he knew that a grossly avoidable conflict could follow if he did not. Revels’ track record as a peacekeeper would carry on. Revels supported a peaceful return to citizenship for previous Confederate citizens (Biography.com Editors). Despite his reasonable distaste toward Confederate leaders, Revels made a similar call to his decision to assist in the reconstruction. He knew that there were plenty of people of many different races that did not support the Confederacy. He wished that these people would be allowed to return to America and be granted the citizenship that he longed for and received. Revels showed great empathy and selflessness in his career as a senator. Without him, there may have been a radically different outcome to this fragile era of American history. 

     The impact of Hiram Rhodes Revels on the lives of people of color has been felt for centuries. He was able to stand up and effectively change the education, livelihood, and treatment of African Americans within the United States. He was familiar with how people like him were treated and what was required of him when he eventually was elected as a senator representing Mississippi. He fought diligently for the equal treatment and betterment of education for Black Americans. Even after all he accomplished within the government he returned a decorated, loved member of his community where he was appointed as the first president of Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College (now Alcorn State University) to help in the cultivation of young minds into adults that would ameliorate the United States’ views on African Americans and their role in society.