Artifacts explores the history of the United States through objects. House ofspeak to the representatives historian and house curator about the history of African Americans who served in congress and see a selection of artifacts from the collection. Onehe story is not everybody is familiar with. We had 22 africanamericans 19 etween 1970 and it has to do with the role of congress during the civil war, and the decade after. During the civil war, there was a group of radicals in congress, radicals because they believed in the equality of africanamericans, and wanted to create a society in the south after the war that was a multiracial society. Thaddeus stevens, the chairman ways and means committee. A liza washburn. In the Senate People like charles sumner. And they really drove the agenda and pushed the Lincoln Administration not only to prosecute the war more vigorously, but to have reconstruction after a war that was not so lenient toward southern state, not going to ensure that Politi