Born into slavery on a Louisiana plantation, John Roy Lynch
(1847-1939) came to adulthood during the Reconstruction Era and
lived a public-spirited life for over three decades. His political
career began in 1869 with his appointment as justice of the peace.
Within the year, he was elected to the Mississippi legislature and
was later elected Speaker of the House. At age twenty-five, Lynch
became the first African American from Mississippi to be elected to
the United States Congress. He led the fight to secure passage of
the Civil Rights Bill of 1875. In 1884, he was elected temporary
chairman of the Eighth Republican National Convention and was the
first black American to deliver the keynote address.
His autobiography, "Reminiscences of an Active Life," reflects
Lynch's thoughtful and nuanced understanding of the past and of his
own experience. The book, written when he was ninety, challenges a
number of traditional arguments about Reconstruction. In his
experience, African Americans in the South competed on an equal
basis with whites; the state governments were responsive to the
needs of the people; and race was not always a decisive factor in
the politics of Reconstruction.
The autobiography, which would not be published until 1970,
provides rich material for the study of American politics and race
relations during Reconstruction. It sheds light on presidential
patronage, congressional deals, and personality conflicts among
national political figures. Lynch's childhood reflections reveal
new dimensions to our understanding of black experience during
slavery and beyond. An introduction by John Hope Franklin puts
Lynch's public and private lives in the context of his times and
provides an overview of how "Reminiscences of an Active Life" came
to be written.
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