Joseph H. Rainey papers

"Letter, 5 Oct. 1880 (Columbia, S.C.) to G.M. Johnson (New York), answering his request for "my autograph, and the duration of my Congressional career," relating his nine years in Congress, "the first colored bona fide - member of Congress ... not only been the first, but the last of our race that held membership in the U.S. House of Representatives.""@en
"Letter, 27 Sept. 1871, Washingtonville (Orange County, N.Y.), from Rainey to an unidentified attorney, with an attached biographical sketch from an unidentified printed source; letter, 13 June 1873 (Georgetown, S.C.) from Rainey to Mr. C.A. McCollough, describing his political career, "I was elected to the State Senate of South Carolina, in 1868. Served two years, during which time I was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, to fill out an unexpired term in 1870-71. This act made me the first colored man who was admitted to membership of that House"; document, 31 July 1876, "House of Representatives," request for delivery of five copies of a government report to the Bureau of Statistics: the Annual Report on Commerce and Navigation for 1875."@en