Hiram Revels was an African American politician in the late 19th century who accomplished several historic firsts: 1) He was preparing to become the first African American member of the United States Congress, after being elected to represent Mississippi in the U.S. Senate in 1870. 2) He helped establish an African American troop organization to fight in the Civil War and worked with the Freedmen's Bureau to emancipate enslaved people. 3) Prior to entering Congress, he moved from Baltimore, Maryland to Missouri and served as a pastor of several African American churches.