A former slave became lieutenant governor and died 4 years later

Support for freed slaves was so strong after the Civil War we saw Black Representatives and even Lieutenant Governors taking office in the 1860s. Their success was short-lived, cut down by racist sentiments that look very much like the ones rocking the country today. This is part of our “History Refocused” series — stories from America’s past you should have heard about, but probably didn’t.