Who Was Josiah Walls?

He was the first black Congressman from the state of Florida. He served in the 42nd Congress.

He was a Republican.

He passed away on this day 115 years ago. Citizen Media News wanted to take a moment to remember Congressman Walls.

Take a moment to read his story by clicking on this text.

The 41st Congress saw the first two blacks elected to congress, Joseph Rainey and Jefferson Long.

Joseph Rainey

Jefferson F. Long

Yes, both Republicans.

In the next Congress, there were four black gentlemen elected. In this group was Josiah Walls, who served until 1877.

After the first six took office, fifteen black congressmen would serve. The last person of this time period was Oscar Stanton De Priest, who left congress on January 3, 1935

There would not be another black republican to serve in congress until Gary Franks’ tenure in 1991.

J.C. Watts, Tim Scott, Allen West, Will Hurd, and the first female black Republican, Mia Love, all soon followed.

Congressman Hurd is the only seated black Republican Congressman at this time.

Out of 126 black Congressmen that have served since Rep. Rainey took office 150 years ago in 1870, there have been only 27 total that have served as Republicans.

In fact, there have only been 7 Republican Congressmen that were born after slavery ended.

Congressman Walls left congress in 1877. Do you know who the next elected black Republican from the state of Florida was?

One of Citizen Media’s favorite people, LTC (R) Allen West.

Thank you Rep. Walls for blazing the trail for the handful of Republican Congressman that served after you.

The new generation of Black Republicans across the country that have stepped up to run for a position in Congress includes Jarome Bell Bell from Virginia, Joe Collins and Errol Webber from California have announced their candidacy for Congress.

On this day in history, May 15, 1905, Republican Congressman Josiah T. Walls died. He was 63 years old.

Congressman Walls, who was born a slave, was the first black man elected to Congress from Florida. pic.twitter.com/5ho2LOPGBz

— Errol Webber For Congress (CA-37) (@ErrolWebber) May 15, 2020

Congressman Walls was elected from Florida's 2nd District and focused on education and economic improvement for former slaves.

"Can former slaves protect their freedom without education?" he asked during a speech on the floor of the House.

— Errol Webber For Congress (CA-37) (@ErrolWebber) May 15, 2020

Congressman Walls endured continual Ku Klux Klan violence during his time in office. He was shot at, several times, and harassed at political rallies by Klan members from Jacksonville.

Walls also worked at Florida Normal College, which is now Florida A&M University.

— Errol Webber For Congress (CA-37) (@ErrolWebber) May 15, 2020

From Wikipedia, used for ease of formatting:

Representative			Congressional District	Took office	Left office	Party	Congress	Former slave	Ref.	Note
		Joseph Rainey (1832–1887)	South Carolina’s 1st	December 12, 1870	March 3, 1879	Republican	41st (1869–1871)	Yes	[5]	[note 1]
							THRU
							45th (1877–1879)
		Jefferson F. Long (1836–1901)	Georgia’s 4th	January 16, 1871	March 3, 1871	Republican	41st (1869–1871)	Yes	[6]	[note 2]
		Robert C. De Large (1842–1874)	South Carolina’s 2nd	March 4, 1871	January 24, 1873	Republican	42nd (1871–1873)	No	[7]	[note 3]
		Robert B. Elliott (1842–1884)	South Carolina’s 3rd	March 4, 1871	November 1, 1874	Republican	42nd (1871–1873)	No	[9]	[note 4]
							43rd (1873–1875)
		Benjamin S. Turner (1825–1894)	Alabama’s 1st	March 4, 1871	March 3, 1873	Republican	42nd (1871–1873)	Yes	[10]	[note 5]
		Josiah T. Walls (1842–1905)	Florida’s at-large	March 4, 1871	January 29, 1873	Republican	42nd (1871–1873)	Yes	[11]	[note 6]
				March 4, 1873	March 3, 1875		43rd (1873–1875)
			Florida’s 2nd	March 4, 1875	April 19, 1876		44th (1875–1877)
		Richard H. Cain (1825–1887)	South Carolina’s at-large	March 4, 1873	March 3, 1875	Republican	43rd (1873–1875)	No	[14]	[note 7]
			South Carolina’s 2nd	March 4, 1877	March 3, 1879		45th (1877–1879)
		John R. Lynch (1847–1939)	Mississippi’s 6th	March 4, 1873	March 3, 1877	Republican	43rd (1873–1875)	Yes	[15]	[note 8]
							44th (1875–1877)
				April 29, 1882	March 3, 1883		47th (1881–1883)
		Alonzo J. Ransier (1834–1882)	South Carolina’s 2nd	March 3, 1873	March 3, 1875	Republican	43rd (1873–1875)	No	[17]	[note 9]
		James T. Rapier (1837–1883)	Alabama’s 2nd	March 4, 1873	March 3, 1875	Republican	43rd (1873–1875)	No	[18]	[note 10]
		Jeremiah Haralson (1846–1916)	Alabama’s 1st	March 4, 1875	March 3, 1877	Republican	44th (1875–1877)	Yes	[19]	[note 11]
		John Adams Hyman (1840–1891)	North Carolina’s 2nd	March 4, 1875	March 3, 1877	Republican	44th (1875–1877)	Yes	[20]	[note 12]
		Charles E. Nash (1844–1913)	Louisiana’s 6th	March 4, 1875	March 3, 1877	Republican	44th (1875–1877)	No	[21]	[note 13]
		Robert Smalls (1839–1915)	South Carolina’s 5th	March 4, 1875	March 3, 1879	Republican	44th (1875–1877)	Yes	[22]	[note 14]
							45th (1877–1879)
				July 19, 1882	March 3, 1883		47th (1881–1883)
			South Carolina’s 7th	March 18, 1884	March 3, 1887		48th (1883–1885)
							49th (1885–1887)
		James E. O’Hara (1844–1905)	North Carolina’s 2nd	March 4, 1883	March 3, 1887	Republican	48th (1883–1885)	No	[24]	[note 15]
							49th (1885–1887)

	Henry P. Cheatham (1857–1935)	North Carolina’s 2nd	March 4, 1889	March 3, 1893	Republican	51st (1889–1891)	Yes	[25]	[note 16]
						52nd (1891–1893)
		John Mercer Langston (1829–1897)	Virginia’s 4th	September 23, 1890	March 3, 1891	Republican	51st (1889–1891)	No	[26]	[note 17]
		Thomas E. Miller (1849–1938)	South Carolina’s 7th	September 24, 1890	March 3, 1891	Republican	51st (1889–1891)	No	[28]	[note 18]
		George W. Murray (1853–1926)	South Carolina’s 7th	March 4, 1893	March 3, 1895	Republican	53rd (1893–1895)	Yes	[30]	[note 19]
			South Carolina’s 1st	June 4, 1896	March 3, 1897		54th (1895–1897)
		George Henry White (1852–1918)	North Carolina’s 2nd	March 4, 1897	March 3, 1901	Republican	55th (1897–1899)	Yes	[32]	[note 2

Representative			Congressional District	Took office	Left office	Party	Congress	Ref.	Note
		Oscar Stanton De Priest (1871–1951)	Illinois’s 1st	March 4, 1929	January 3, 1935	Republican	71st (1929–1931)	[33]	[note 21]
							72nd (1931–1933)
							73rd (1933–1935)
		Arthur W. Mitchell (1883–1968)	Illinois’s 1st	January 3, 1935	January 3, 1943	Democratic	74th (1935–1937)	[34]	[note 22