John Roy Lynch was born into slavery on September 10, 1847, to a mulatto mother and an Irish father. He served as personal valet to his master, Alfred W. Davis, until he was emancipated by the conclusion of the war. Lynch worked multiple jobs as a freedman, including cooking, running a photography studio, and investing in real estate. A lifelong Republican, Lynch gained support by speaking out in support of a new Mississippi constitution, and served as assistant secretary at the Republican state convention. In November 1869 he was elected to the House, and by January 1972 he had been appointed Speaker. His seat represented a portion of coastal Mississippi that was 55% black at the time.
Lynch was important to Reconstruction because he was a self-made, first generation freedman. His strong support of Republican ideals and morals won him the respect and loyalty of his colleagues. He served in both the Civil War and the Spanish-American War, and his vocal support of the Civil Rights Bill in 1875 helped to circulate the idea of black citizens as functional, productive members of society. This was perhaps the most influential idea, coming after a time when the general consensus was that blacks could never be peaceful, contributing citizens in an unsegregated community.
What did you learn about Reconstruction as a result of researching this person?
There were two major components to the Reconstruction period in American history. There was the physical and emotional reconstruction-- the actual act of rebuilding the Union after the civil war, and there was the political Reconstruction, a period marked by radical shifts in the American political process. John R. Lynch was a mark of the latter. Lynch was living proof of the paradigm shift that crept across the country. He was mixed race-- a white father and a black mother. The two were exceptionally candid about their relationship for their time, and Lynch's father was quite open in his intentions to take the family north to freedom. His plans did not ultimately come to fruition, as he died before the family's journey was complete. This postpones Lynch's freedom until 1863.
John R. Lynch's life teaches us about the changing political scene of America during the reconstruction. He was one of the first prominent black political figures, and also was one of the first African Americans elected to the House of Representatives. His election is also evidence of the growing influence of African American voting in American politics. Also important was his interest in civil rights and steadfast opposition to the plantation politics of the south, proof of the slow paradigm shift that the country felt towards the republicans. Although Black Americans at his time did not have nearly the rights that they ultimately would, his presence represented the beginning of a paradigm shift in civil rights.
Biography of John Roy Lynch
John Roy Lynch was born into slavery on September 10, 1847, to a mulatto mother and an Irish father. He served as personal valet to his master, Alfred W. Davis, until he was emancipated by the conclusion of the war. Lynch worked multiple jobs as a freedman, including cooking, running a photography studio, and investing in real estate. A lifelong Republican, Lynch gained support by speaking out in support of a new Mississippi constitution, and served as assistant secretary at the Republican state convention. In November 1869 he was elected to the House, and by January 1972 he had been appointed Speaker. His seat represented a portion of coastal Mississippi that was 55% black at the time.
Lynch was important to Reconstruction because he was a self-made, first generation freedman. His strong support of Republican ideals and morals won him the respect and loyalty of his colleagues. He served in both the Civil War and the Spanish-American War, and his vocal support of the Civil Rights Bill in 1875 helped to circulate the idea of black citizens as functional, productive members of society. This was perhaps the most influential idea, coming after a time when the general consensus was that blacks could never be peaceful, contributing citizens in an unsegregated community.
What did you learn about Reconstruction as a result of researching this person?
There were two major components to the Reconstruction period in American history. There was the physical and emotional reconstruction-- the actual act of rebuilding the Union after the civil war, and there was the political Reconstruction, a period marked by radical shifts in the American political process. John R. Lynch was a mark of the latter. Lynch was living proof of the paradigm shift that crept across the country. He was mixed race-- a white father and a black mother. The two were exceptionally candid about their relationship for their time, and Lynch's father was quite open in his intentions to take the family north to freedom. His plans did not ultimately come to fruition, as he died before the family's journey was complete. This postpones Lynch's freedom until 1863.
John R. Lynch's life teaches us about the changing political scene of America during the reconstruction. He was one of the first prominent black political figures, and also was one of the first African Americans elected to the House of Representatives. His election is also evidence of the growing influence of African American voting in American politics. Also important was his interest in civil rights and steadfast opposition to the plantation politics of the south, proof of the slow paradigm shift that the country felt towards the republicans. Although Black Americans at his time did not have nearly the rights that they ultimately would, his presence represented the beginning of a paradigm shift in civil rights.
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Works Cited
http://baic.house.gov/member-profiles/profile.html?intID=8