My name is John Roy Lynch. I was a former slave. During the civil war I freed myself by running away and joining the union army. In 1872, by the time I was 25, I became the first African American Speaker of the House. I advocated for the Civil Rights Act of 1875, which ended legal discrimination in public places and transportation, until the U.S. Supreme Court declared the law unconstitutional in 1883. I was re-elected to Congress in 1876 and 1880 but felt increasingly isolated as Democrats took back power by force across the state. They used violence and intimidation to take back power.
After the war, I joined the Republican Party in Mississippi working as assistant secretary for the Republican State Convention. grew older, I became increasingly concerned about the racist and inaccurate portrayal of Blacks by historians of Reconstruction. I wrote a book titled The Facts of Reconstruction to set the record straight. I am part of the civil rights movement and I advocated for the civil right Act of 1875, which ended legal discrimination in public places and transportation. I exposed democrats for working with terrorist groups like the Ku Klux Klan and other groups to overthrow the republican party. This movement is important at this time because it brings light on the groups who are racist and inaccurately portraying blacks. It is certainly known by southern as well as northern men that the colored people of this country are thoroughly American, is a quote that describes my goals and ethos. Colored people should have the same rights and freedoms of any other people in America because we are born and raised through the influence of American institutions. I face many difficulties because the democrats use violence, intimidation and fraud to try and defeat my causes. In 1872, I became the first African American Speaker of the House and later that year I was elected as part of the first generation of African American U.S. congressmen. I’ve made several strengthening moves to further my cause.
