Representative George H. White of North Carolina was the only African American member of the 55th and 56th Congresses (1897–1901) and the last in Congress for nearly 30 years. In a speech about trade, White protested the disenfranchisement and lynching of blacks in the South. He introduced a bill for federal enforcement of civil rights.
Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress
Trade of Puerto Rico . . . speeches of Hon. George H. White, February 5 and 23,1900
Preserving African American History
The Library of Congress has a broad approach to collecting materials, based on Thomas Jefferson’s belief that that “there is . . . no subject to which a Member of Congress may not have occasion to refer.” Assistant Librarian Daniel P. Murray (1852-1925) assembled a rich collection of rare books and pamphlets in the field of African American history. The items constitute an invaluable resource for Congress and the nation relating to issues such as black culture, politics, and civil rights from the 1850s to the 1920s.
Representative George H. White of North Carolina was the only African American member of the 55th and 56th Congresses (1897–1901) and the last in Congress for nearly 30 years. In a speech about trade, White protested the disenfranchisement and lynching of blacks in the South. He introduced a bill for federal enforcement of civil rights.
Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress
