After the Civil War, the era of Reconstruction began in the United States. For the first time in American history, this would mean that African-American citizens have the ability to participate in the political process. The first 12 years after the Civil War can be seen as a success for African-American entry into the political scene.
Over this 12 year span, millions of African-American men voted in local, state, and national elections. Along with this, multiple African-American men were voted into office, including Hiram Rhodes Revels who was elected to the US Congress.