In honor of Black History Month, all month long we will be sharing the legacies and stories of the heroes, sheroes, and events in the fight for Black suffrage on social media under the hashtag #VRABlackHistory. Follow us on Twitter (@VRAmatters) to share your own facts.

Picture Description from CK12.org: “Freedmen Voting in New Orleans” 1867 engraving showing African Americans who were enslaved but a couple years earlier participating in election.

Today we honor The Reconstruction Congress of 1867, which passed several measures to promote the Black franchise:

1.      The District of Columbia Suffrage Bill;

2.      The Territorial Suffrage Act; and,

3.      The Reconstruction Acts of 1867.