Jeremiah Haralson

Congressman Jeremiah Haralson, enslaved until 1865, was one of three Black Americans from Alabama who served in the U.S. House of Representatives during Reconstruction. He was known for being a powerful orator. While serving in Congress, Haralson supported amnesty for former Confederates and opposed using federal troops to quell violence in the South during the presidential election of 1876. He served just one term, from 1875 to 1877 (44th Congress), and was assigned to the Public Expenditures Committee. Haralson ran for re-election in a majority-Black district but was unsuccessful as a white Democratic candidate won the election. Before entering politics, Haralson taught himself to read and write and was a farmer and a minister.