Blanche Kelso Bruce

Republican Senator of Mississippi

Congresses Served

Senate Terms

January 1, 1841 (57 years old)

Birthday

January 1, 1898

Death

First elected African-American senator to serve a full term in the U.S. Senate.
Born into slavery in Virginia and educated by his father, who was also his master.
Worked various jobs, including as a steamboat porter and educator for black children.
Became a wealthy landowner in Mississippi during the Reconstruction era.
Held multiple local political positions, including sheriff and tax collector, before being elected to the U.S. Senate.
Presided over the U.S. Senate, becoming the first African American to do so.
Participated in the 1880 Republican National Convention, receiving votes for vice president.
Appointed as Recorder of Deeds in Washington, D.C., and served on the Board of Trustees of Public Schools.
His residence is a National Historic Landmark, and he has been honored with a school named after him.
Married a socialite and had one child, expressing pride in his identity as a Negro.