Portrait of Sen. Blanche Bruce taken by Matthew Brady, likely during the late 1870s. [Source: Library of Congress]

Portrait of Sen. Blanche Bruce taken by Matthew Brady, likely during the late 1870s. [Source: Library of Congress]

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Blanche Bruce's Washington: The First Black Senator Took His Seat in 1875

Washington DC
 by
Ben Miller

The first Black man to win a full term in the Senate came to D.C. in 1875. When white supremacists retook his home state of Mississippi, Blanche Bruce built a new life in the nation's capital.

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Last Updated: February 11, 2025