Historical Highlights The First African American to Speak in the House Chamber
Historical Highlights The First African American to Speak in the House Chamber
February 12, 1865
On this date, Preacher Henry Highland Garnet became the first African American to speak in the House Chamber when he addressed a crowd of worshippers. A common practice for the period, the House Chamber was often used by large groups in the Capitol Hill area when the House was not in session. House Chaplain William Henry Channing invited Garnet to commemorate the House’s approval of the Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery. Garnet spoke to a crowded chamber complete with a choir from his Fifteenth Street Presbyterian Church.
READ MORE: Historical Highlights The First African American to Speak in the House Chamberhttps://history.house.gov/HistoricalHighlight/Detail/35139
February 12, 1865
On this date, Preacher Henry Highland Garnet became the first African American to speak in the House Chamber when he addressed a crowd of worshippers. A common practice for the period, the House Chamber was often used by large groups in the Capitol Hill area when the House was not in session. House Chaplain William Henry Channing invited Garnet to commemorate the House’s approval of the Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery. Garnet spoke to a crowded chamber complete with a choir from his Fifteenth Street Presbyterian Church.
READ MORE: Historical Highlights The First African American to Speak in the House Chamberhttps://history.house.gov/HistoricalHighlight/Detail/35139
