Blanche K. Bruce is remembered for making major political contributions to Black history. He was the second African American to preside over the Senate and the first to serve a full term, breaking major political barriers in the halls of the Senate. Given his political success in a country where Black power hasn’t always come easy, you’d think that he was born into a political family. Far from it, Bruce was born into slavery on March 1, 1841, to his enslaved mother, Polly Bruce. It’s suspected that his father was Pettis Perkinson, one of the wealthy white planters in Virginia. Although Bruce was born in Virginia, he spent most of his childhood years in Missouri being educated alongside his master’s legitimate half-brother. Once the American Civil War broke out, he sought safety in Kansas. Despite living as a fugitive in Kansas, he managed to establish a school for black children. When the war ended, Bruce returned to Missouri and established the state’s first school for black children. In the years that followed, Bruce received mentorship from white Republicans. This enabled him to climb the political ladder pretty fast. He first served as sergeant at arms in the State Senate. Shortly after, he became the Sheriff and Tax Collector of Bolivar County. He was also appointed as the supervisor of education in Bolivar- a position that enabled him to establish more schools. Through the different political positions, Bruce accumulated enough wealth to help him purchase a plantation (640 acres in size) in Floreyville, Mississippi. Five years after entering the political world, Bruce was elected as a Republican to the U.S. Senate by the Mississippi state legislature. He went on to serve a full term – from 1875 to 1881. In light of this, he was crowned the first African American to preside over the Senate and complete a term. During his tenure in the Senate, Bruce achieved many feats that helped to shape African-American history. For instance, he advocated for the desegregation of the Army and equal treatment for African Americans, Native Americans,s and Chinese Americans.
I have confidence, not only in my country and her institutions,
Blanche Bruce
but in the endurance, capacity and destiny of my people.
In 1978, he opposed the Chinese Exclusion Act, which prohibited all Chinese laborers from immigrating to the U.S. for a decade. He also spearheaded the committee appointed to investigate the collapse of the Freedmen’s Savings and Trust Company. This bank had been created specifically to help former slaves achieve financial stability.
Even after his senate term ended, Bruce was appointed to other political positions. For instance, during the reign of President James Garfield, he served as Registrar of Treasury. In 1889, President Benjamin Harrison also appointed him as the Recorder of Deeds for the District of Columbia. When William McKinley took the reins in 1897, Bruce was appointed as the Registrar of the Treasury for a second time. According to Black History Online records, he continued to hold office until he passed away in 1898.
Differences of religion, nationality, or race can neither with
Bruce Blanche
safety nor propriety be permitted for a moment.
- Blanche Bruce – wikipedia.org
- Blanche-K-Bruce – britannica.org
- Bruce Blanche – The Black Governor Who Was Almost A Senator – pbs.org
- Blanche Bruce – wikipedia.com