Complete the following tasks in order to (a) select a person of significance, (b) identify three episodes, and (c) substantiate the relationship between those episodes.

• Identify an individual who meets the following criteria:
  • Resident, visitor, or traveler in Colonial North America or the United States
  • Well-documented contributor to the political, social, or cultural development of Colonial North America or the United States
  • Main contributions (minimum 2 of 3 episodes) occurred between 1492 and 1877
  • Some suggestions:
    • You may be tempted to pick one of the "big names" (e.g., George Washington, Frederick Douglass). Be aware that such a choice will require careful attention to secondary sources about that person
    • On the other hand, try not to pick someone too obscure (e.g., an enigma or one-episode figure) because there may be too few sources about that person
    • If you are unsure, contact the professor for feedback. Provide some initial reasoning for your candidate(s)
• Identify three episodes that each:
  • Demonstrate a connection between the individual and larger political, social, or cultural developments in Early America
  • Reveal a different dimension of the individual's personality, aspirations, relationships, ideas, or struggles
  • Represent a modest span of time (5-20 years) instead of "covering everything"
• Identify the connections between the episodes. 
  • Did one episode cause the next?
  • Did one contribute to or shape another?
  • Did multiple episodes reveal a larger theme in the individual's life?
• Place the episodes in the most logical order for "storytelling" purposes.
  • Chronological? Thematic?
  • A balance of both?
• Craft a short proposal (500-700 words) that explains:
  • Why this person is significant ("so what?")
  • The period of interest in their life ("why these dates?")
  • How each episode connects the person to larger issues in Early America ("what's the big picture?")
  • How the episodes interrelate ("what's the main story?")
  • For more information, see the Biography Proposal Rubric.
• Provide consistent citation of all sources in your preferred format (APA, MLA, Chicago). You are not required to use scholarly sources at this stage in the project.
  • Need some ideas? The following is a list of significant people in Early America. These individuals are chosen as (i) significant and multidimensional persons in history, (ii) well-attested in terms of primary and secondary sources, and (iii) neither too famous nor too obscure. These individuals are only suggestions, and you are not required to pick from this list. You may pick any person who satisfies the criteria given above.Samuel AdamsSusan B. Anthony
    Benedict ArnoldP.T. BarnumClara BartonElizabeth BlackwellAnne BradstreetDaniel BooneJoseph BrantJohn C. CalhounKit CarsonGeorge CatlinMary ChesnutHenry ClayDavid CrockettEmily DickinsonStephen Douglas
    Eleuthere Irenee du PontJubal EarlyOlaudah EquianoJohn C. FremontRobert FultonNathanael GreeneSarah and Angelina GrimkeHannah HeatonSam Houston
    Anne Hutchinson
    Harriet JacobsMarquis de LafayetteMary LyonJohn MarshallCharles Mason and Jeremiah DixonHerman MelvilleHerman MelvilleLucretia MottSolomon NorthupCynthia Ann ParkerCharles Willson Peale
    Matthew C. PerryZebulon PikeEdgar Allen PoeRed CloudHiram RevelsElisha Hunt Rhodes
    David RittenhouseMary RowlandsonBenjamin RushDeborah SampsonDred ScottSamuel ShawWilliam SewardRoger ShermanWilliam T. ShermanJoseph SmithJames SmithsonLeland StanfordElizabeth Cady StantonMaria StewartPeter StuyvesantTecumsehHenry David ThoreauAlexis de TocquevilleAlbion TourgeeSojourner TruthHarriet TubmanDenmark VeseyDavid Walker
    Mercy Otis Warren
    Daniel Webster
    Roger WilliamsCharles WilkesPhillis Wheatley

 

Introduction

Hiram Rhodes Revels was born in the year 1827 and died in 1901. Hiram is an icon in American history. Hiram Revels is a great inspiration in the political, cultural, and social life of Americans. Revels served as a politician, clergyman, and educator hence his fame in the early history of America (Puckett, 2020). Most Black American’s draw their inspiration from Revels in their political career.

Important Episodes in the Life of Hiram Rhodes Revels to American History

1845- 1868

Between these years Hiram Rhodes was a very active member of the church which saw his appointment and ordination as a minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Hiram Rhodes was born of free parents but black and therefore had to travel to the North to receive an education which he was denied in the South. Revels received his education in Indiana and Illinois. In the year 1845, upon his appointment in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Revels served as a pastor in a church in Baltimore, Maryland. Revels was also a principal in a school for African Americans (Paroissien, 2020). The black Americans also helped to organize volunteer regiments for Blacks to serve in the army after the civil wars in America in the year 1861. Revels joined the federal forces where he served as a chaplain to continue with the gospel. After the civil wars, Revels settled in Mississippi where he preached to a large congregation where there came claims of his appointment to the senate that saw a lot of criticism since he was a preacher.

1869- 1871

During the four years, Revels was appointed and elected to the Senate where he represented blacks.  In the year 1868, Revels was appointed as an elder man by the military government which saw his election to the senate. Despite him Revels being a Republican, he was at the forefront of the fight to end the friction of races with the whites in the south. Revels voted to restore voting rights to the members of the previous confederacy who were deprived of their rights to voting and holding office (Martinez, 2021). In the year1870, Revels entered the senate to take the seat of Albert G. Brown who left it in 1861. During his political career, Revels advocated for the ending of segregation in roads and schools.

1871-1882

Upon leaving office from the senate in 1871, Revels became the president of Alcorn State University which was then referred to as Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College. The institution then was opened to benefit African Americans for higher education in Mississippi. In 1874, Revels was removed as the president at the college. In 1875, Revels helped in overturning the republican rule in Mississippi where he argued that many politicians in the party were very corrupt which won him an appointment by the Democratic Party (Conley, 2017). The Democratic Administration appointed Revels back to politics as the chief in Alcorn, a position he served till his retirement in 1882.

Significance of Hiram Rhodes Revels to the American History

Hiram Rhodes Revels’ political ambitions are very significant in American History. Revels was a very devoted Republican during his early political career in America where he was elected as a senator and received some appointments. During his representation in the Senate, Revels was very crucial in the fight for desegregation in America since he was representing the blacks. Revels severally voted to have voting rights restored for those that had been deprived of their voting rights showing his love for peace and justice (Martinez, 2021). Revels felt for blacks and that is why he was against the segregation where African Americans were given separate schools and railroads to use, something that made them look less important in America.

Hiram Rhodes is very significant in the social and cultural life of most Americans. His support for education is very important as it shows him to be a person that loved development and especially during his time as the president of the college belonging to blacks (Conley, 2017). Rhodes is a good description of a society leader because of his service to the church during his early years where he served as a pastor and preacher to the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Relationship between the episodes

There is a connection between the episodes in the life of Hiram Rhodes Revels. His schooling life in Indiana and Illinois led to Revels' appointment in the church as a pastor. Revels' devotion to serving in the church leadership made the politicians become interested in him and hence his appointment by the governor and later his election in the senate. Being in the senate, gave Revels an ample position to fight for the blacks and more so to fight against segregation of the blacks (Conley, 2017). The service that Revels offered to the senate saw his election as the president of Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College. His efforts to overturn the republican rule saw Revels appointment as a chief by the Democratic Administration.

How the Episodes relate to the American History

Revels is significant in the Christianity of America as he was a leader in the church who was determined in spreading the gospel. Revels is an inspiration to most black politicians in America as he was the first black to serve in the American senate. Racial equality in America can be traced down to Revels' contribution to ending segregation ((Paroissien, 2020). Revels is among the first people to support the Democratic Party as he helped overturn the Republican rule which was termed as corrupt.

Conclusion

Hiram Rhodes Revels is the greatest inspiration to the politics and social life of America. The black leader was at the forefront in fighting for racial equality especially segregation. Most African American leaders draw their inspiration from the political career of Revels who was very firm in his decisions especially when it came to protecting the rights of the blacks (Puckett, 2020). Revels’ contribution to education is very important in America where he served as a principal in Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College.