US Congressman, US Diplomat, Social Reformer. Known for being one of the first African-Americans elected to public office in the United States. He was born in Louisa County, Virginia as the son of a Virginia Planter and a slave mother. He was emancipated at the age of five, attended school in ohio and graduated from Oberlin College in 1849. He quickly became a leader among free blacks and was elected to local offices in Brownhelm Township, Ohio in 1855 and in Oberlin, serving from 1865 to 1867. In 1864 he helped organize the National Equal Rights League, of which he was the first president. After the American Civil War Langston moved to Washington, D.C., praticed law and taught at Howard University, heading its Law Department from 1869 to 1877, and served as it Vice President from 1872 to 1876. He was appointed United States Minister to Haiti and served as Charge d'affaires to Santo Domingo from 1877 to 1885. He was nominated as the Republican candidate from Virginia for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1888, and, after a challenge of the election returns that took almost two years, he succeeded in unseating his Democratic opponent and served in the United States House of Representatives from September 23,1890 to March 3,1891.
US Congressman, US Diplomat, Social Reformer. Known for being one of the first African-Americans elected to public office in the United States. He was born in Louisa County, Virginia as the son of a Virginia Planter and a slave mother. He was emancipated at the age of five, attended school in ohio and graduated from Oberlin College in 1849. He quickly became a leader among free blacks and was elected to local offices in Brownhelm Township, Ohio in 1855 and in Oberlin, serving from 1865 to 1867. In 1864 he helped organize the National Equal Rights League, of which he was the first president. After the American Civil War Langston moved to Washington, D.C., praticed law and taught at Howard University, heading its Law Department from 1869 to 1877, and served as it Vice President from 1872 to 1876. He was appointed United States Minister to Haiti and served as Charge d'affaires to Santo Domingo from 1877 to 1885. He was nominated as the Republican candidate from Virginia for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1888, and, after a challenge of the election returns that took almost two years, he succeeded in unseating his Democratic opponent and served in the United States House of Representatives from September 23,1890 to March 3,1891.
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