Trees Planted by the Water: Early African American Legislators

12th (1870-71) Legislature African American Legislators -

Members of the Twelfth Legislature (1870-71) were elected in 1869 at the same election at which the voters approved the new constitution. But before normal relations with the United States were restored on April 17, 1870, the newly elected legislators were ordered into session from February 8-24 as a provisional legislature by the military commander, who also appointed a provisional speaker, to ratify the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments and elect two United States senators. Twelve days after federal rule ended, Republican Governor Edmund J. Davis^qv called the Twelfth Legislature into special session. The first regular session was held from January 10 to May 31, 1871, and the second, September 12 to December 2, 1871. The Twelfth Legislature was, to date, the only one in which Republicans held a majority of seats and also the first to which African Americans^qv were elected. Among unusual procedural incidents were the removal of Republican Speaker Ira H. Evans^qv for opposing the change of election dates that in effect altered constitutional terms of office, the arrest of senators by the Senate and the forcible return of enough to make a quorum, and the expelling of a senator. In the 1872 elections the Democrats reclaimed both houses of the legislature

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Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. "," http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/TT/mkt2.html (accessed July 24, 2006).