Definition
The “Original 33” denotes the thirty‑three African‑American men who were elected to the Georgia General Assembly in 1868, the first such legislators in the state’s history. Their election and subsequent exclusion from office became a focal point of Reconstruction‑era political and civil‑rights struggles.
Overview
In the aftermath of the American Civil War, Georgia was required to adopt new state constitutions and enfranchise Black men as part of the Reconstruction Acts passed by Congress. In the November 1868 elections, thirty‑three Black candidates—predominantly Republicans—won seats in both the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Georgia General Assembly. Shortly after the legislature convened, the white Democratic majority voted to expel the Black members, arguing that the state constitution did not expressly authorize their eligibility. The expulsions prompted petitions to the U.S. Congress and the federal courts. In 1870, the U.S. Supreme Court, via United States v. Reese and related decisions, upheld federal authority to protect the voting rights of African Americans, leading to the reinstatement of the expelled legislators and the passage of the Georgia “Reconstruction Act” provisions that secured Black suffrage. The “Original 33” thus symbolize both the progress and the resistance to Black political participation during Reconstruction.
Etymology/Origin
The term “Original 33” originates from the literal number of African‑American legislators—33—who were first elected to Georgia’s state legislature after the Civil War. The adjective “original” emphasizes their status as the inaugural group of Black office‑holders in the state.
Characteristics
- Demographics: All thirty‑three were African‑American men; most were formerly enslaved or the sons of formerly enslaved persons.
- Political affiliation: They were aligned with the Republican Party, which advocated for Reconstruction policies and civil‑rights protections.
- Geographic representation: The members were elected from a range of counties across Georgia, reflecting the broader distribution of Black voters in the state.
- Legal and political impact: Their forced removal prompted federal intervention, influencing subsequent civil‑rights legislation and judicial rulings that reinforced the Fifteenth Amendment.
- Legacy: The “Original 33” have been commemorated in historical scholarship, public monuments (e.g., the “Original 33 Monument” in Atlanta), and educational curricula focusing on Reconstruction and African‑American political history.
Related Topics
- Reconstruction era (1865–1877)
- Georgia General Assembly
- African‑American officeholders during Reconstruction
- Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
- Federal Enforcement Acts (1870–1871)
- Civil Rights Act of 1866
- United States v. Reese (1876) and related Supreme Court cases
- Historical monuments and memory of Reconstruction in the Southern United States.