"Jefferson Franklin Long" (March 3,1836-February 4,1901)

A republican who represented Georgia in the 41st.Congress,was the first African-American member to speak on the floor of the House of  Representatives from Georgia and was the only African-American representative from Georgia for just over a century.Jefferson was born a slave in Knoxville,Georgia.Little is known of his early years,by the end of the civil war he had been self educated started his own merchant tailor shop and was an active member of of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) of Macon,which at that time which at that time was headed by Henry Mcneal Turner.Under Henry direction Jefferson made his first political appearance at a meeting of the Georgia Educational Association in 1867.Jefferson may also have had a hand in the establishment of Georgia's Freedman's Savings Bank,a project led by Henry established through the AME Church.Jefferson also served on the state Republican Central Committee.In 1869 he chaired a special convention in Macon,Georgia which addressed the problems faced by the freedmen.In December of 1870 Georgia held elections for two sets of congressional representatives-one of the final session of the 41st Congress (the first two which Georgia had missed due to delayed to delayed readmission to the Union),and one for the 42nd Congress,set to begin in March of 1871.Georgia Republicans nominated Jefferson,an African American,to run for the 41st congress,Thomas Jefferson Speer,a white American,was chosen to run for the 42nd.Long was elected on January 16th,1871.In his only speech to Congress on February 1,1871,he opposed a measured which would remove voting restrictions on ex-Confederates political leaders because he felt these men still posed a threat to African-Americans political freedom if allowed to regain power.His opposition failed,and the bill was approved by the house and two weeks later became a law without President Grant's signature.Jefferson turn in office expired less than one month later.He returned to Georgia to campaign for the Republicans.He addressed a gathering of freedmen and women in Macon on Election day,1872.The freedmen then marched to the polls.A riot broke out shortly after armed whites attacked his group.Four freedmen were killed and most African-Americans voters in Macon did not get to their ballots that day. Unable to survive on income from his tailor shop,he started other businesses,including a liquor store and a dry-cleaning shop he remained self-employed until his death in Macon.