1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,640 Speaker 1: Hey, y'all, Eve's here. Today's episode contains not just one, 2 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:07,080 Speaker 1: but two nuggets of history. Consider it a double feature. 3 00:00:07,400 --> 00:00:11,200 Speaker 1: Enjoy the show. Hello, Welcome to this day in History class, 4 00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:14,040 Speaker 1: where we flipped through the book of history and bring 5 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:25,560 Speaker 1: you a new page every day. The day was February seventy. 6 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:31,880 Speaker 1: Hiram Rhodes Rebels, a Republican from Mississippi, took his oath 7 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:36,560 Speaker 1: of office in the Senate Chamber. That day. Rebels became 8 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:39,800 Speaker 1: the first African American to serve in the US Congress. 9 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:44,320 Speaker 1: A New York Times article released that same day reported 10 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:49,360 Speaker 1: the following Mr. Revels, the colored senator from Mississippi, was 11 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:52,440 Speaker 1: sworn in and admitted to his seat this afternoon at 12 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:56,040 Speaker 1: four forty o'clock. There was not an inch of standing 13 00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:59,200 Speaker 1: or sitting room in the galleries, so densely were they packed. 14 00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:02,760 Speaker 1: And to say that the interest was intense gives but 15 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:05,600 Speaker 1: a faint idea of the feeling which prevailed throughout the 16 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:10,920 Speaker 1: entire proceeding. Not everybody in attendance was in favor of 17 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:15,480 Speaker 1: rebels achievement. Hiram was born to free parents in Fayetteville, 18 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:19,840 Speaker 1: North Carolina, in eighteen twenty seven. Early on he went 19 00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 1: to a school taught by a free black woman, then 20 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:25,640 Speaker 1: traveled north where it was not illegal for him to 21 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:31,160 Speaker 1: get an education. Rebels became a minister of the African 22 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:35,760 Speaker 1: Methodist Episcopal Church, and he moved around the country preaching 23 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 1: and educating black people, and from there he racked up 24 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 1: a list of accomplishments. He became the principle of a 25 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:48,400 Speaker 1: black school in Baltimore. He helped recruit regiments of African 26 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:52,880 Speaker 1: American soldiers from Maryland during the Civil War, and in 27 00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 1: eighteen sixty three he started a school in St. Louis, 28 00:01:56,160 --> 00:02:00,720 Speaker 1: Missouri for free black people. After the the war ended 29 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:04,360 Speaker 1: in eighteen sixty five, the United States entered a period 30 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:09,919 Speaker 1: known as reconstruction. President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation 31 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:13,639 Speaker 1: Proclamation to free slaves in the South, and the South 32 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:18,000 Speaker 1: had to be rebuilt. But many states were passing so 33 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:22,000 Speaker 1: called black codes, which restricted the freedom of black people 34 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 1: and attempted to maintain the old social order. But radical 35 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:31,639 Speaker 1: Republicans demanded civil rights for people who were freed from slavery, 36 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:36,119 Speaker 1: and they pursued more aggressive measures to improve the status 37 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:40,519 Speaker 1: of black people in the United States. African Americans began 38 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:45,840 Speaker 1: winning elections to state legislatures, gaining political power, and the 39 00:02:45,919 --> 00:02:49,679 Speaker 1: fourteenth and fifteenth Amendments to the U. S. Constitution were 40 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 1: passed in the late eighteen sixties, giving the formerly enslaved 41 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:58,480 Speaker 1: citizenship and equal protection of the laws, and granting black 42 00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:02,120 Speaker 1: men the right to vote. It was during this climate 43 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 1: when Rebels entered politics. His leadership caught people's eye, and 44 00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 1: he won his first elected position as an alderman in Natchez, Mississippi, 45 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:17,440 Speaker 1: in eighteen sixty eight. Then in eighteen sixty nine he 46 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:22,359 Speaker 1: got a seat in the Mississippi State Senate. Rebels was moderate, 47 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:26,799 Speaker 1: eager not to upset racial tensions further, and he was 48 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:31,800 Speaker 1: a skilled orator, so in eighteen seventy, when the Mississippi 49 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:34,760 Speaker 1: State Legislature was looking to put a black man in 50 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:38,360 Speaker 1: a vacant U. S. Senate seat, they voted eighty five 51 00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 1: to fifteen for Rebels. Mississippi has seceded from the Union 52 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:48,080 Speaker 1: in eighteen sixty one, but it was readmitted on February 53 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:51,600 Speaker 1: eighteen seventy, and Rebels was set to be sworn in 54 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:58,320 Speaker 1: immediately after, but Senate democrats objected. Some said he hadn't 55 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:01,160 Speaker 1: been a citizen long enough to be a senator as 56 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:04,480 Speaker 1: black people had only been granted citizenship a couple of 57 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:10,320 Speaker 1: years before. Others said Mississippi didn't have a civil government 58 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 1: to confirm his election, but his supporters came to his defense. 59 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:22,000 Speaker 1: Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner said in a speech on February 60 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:26,960 Speaker 1: the time has passed for argument. Nothing more need be said. 61 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:30,000 Speaker 1: I doubt if anything more can be said in the 62 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:33,400 Speaker 1: way of argument. For a long time, it has been 63 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:37,400 Speaker 1: clear that colored persons must be senators, and I have 64 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:42,280 Speaker 1: often so declared. And the Senate voted forty eight to 65 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:48,839 Speaker 1: eight to seat Rebels. During his term, Rebels supported legislation 66 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:54,080 Speaker 1: that would allow disenfranchised former Confederates to vote and hold office. 67 00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:59,919 Speaker 1: He rejected segregation, but didn't advocate for the mixing of races, 68 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:06,560 Speaker 1: and he worked to advance black civil rights. Rebels served 69 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:10,200 Speaker 1: until the expiration of his Senate term on March third, 70 00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:16,640 Speaker 1: eighteen seventy one. Sixteen African Americans served in Congress during reconstruction, 71 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 1: which ended in eighteen seventy seven. The first black woman 72 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:27,000 Speaker 1: wasn't elected to Congress until nearly a century later, when 73 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:30,080 Speaker 1: Shirley Chisholm began her first term in the U. S 74 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 1: House of Representatives in nineteen sixty nine. I'm Aves Deathcote 75 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:39,800 Speaker 1: and hopefully you know a little more about history today 76 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:44,840 Speaker 1: than you did yesterday. You can learn more about history 77 00:05:44,880 --> 00:05:49,560 Speaker 1: by following us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at t 78 00:05:50,080 --> 00:06:04,760 Speaker 1: d i h C podcast We'll see you tomorrow. Hey, 79 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:07,960 Speaker 1: I'm Eves and you're listening to This Day in History Class, 80 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:18,560 Speaker 1: a podcast that proves history is always happening. The day 81 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:24,800 Speaker 1: was February nine, six Corazone Aquino became the eleventh President 82 00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:27,839 Speaker 1: of the Philippines and the first woman to hold the office. 83 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:32,640 Speaker 1: Akenya was born in a province north of Manila, the 84 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:36,680 Speaker 1: capital of the Philippines. Her family was wealthy and prominent 85 00:06:36,720 --> 00:06:41,440 Speaker 1: in politics. They were of Chinese, Filipino, and Spanish descent. 86 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:45,840 Speaker 1: The family owned a sugar plantation that covered thousands of acres. 87 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:49,640 Speaker 1: Akenyo went to a Catholic school for girls in Manila 88 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:52,680 Speaker 1: until she was thirteen. At that point, she went to 89 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:55,960 Speaker 1: the United States, where she attended raven Hill Academy in 90 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:59,799 Speaker 1: Philadelphia and the Notre Dame Convent School in New York. 91 00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:03,320 Speaker 1: In nineteen fifty three, she graduated from the College of 92 00:07:03,360 --> 00:07:06,720 Speaker 1: Mount Saint Vincent, where she majored in French and minored 93 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:11,200 Speaker 1: in mathematics. Akenyo went back to Manila and enrolled in 94 00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:14,240 Speaker 1: law school, but she soon left school and married by 95 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:17,920 Speaker 1: Nino A. Kenyo Jr. Who was also from a wealthy family. 96 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:23,000 Speaker 1: Over the years, the couple had five children together. Just 97 00:07:23,200 --> 00:07:26,640 Speaker 1: a year after they married, Ninoy, as her husband was known, 98 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:30,640 Speaker 1: was elected mayor of the City of Concepcion. As he 99 00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:34,240 Speaker 1: rose in his political career, he became the youngest territorial 100 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 1: governor and later youngest senator in the Philippines. At the 101 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 1: same time, Corazone Akino focused her attention on taking care 102 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:45,880 Speaker 1: of the family, but NINOI was a vocal opponent of 103 00:07:45,880 --> 00:07:50,040 Speaker 1: the regime of President Ferdinand Marcos. In nineteen seventy two, 104 00:07:50,280 --> 00:07:54,040 Speaker 1: Marcos declared martial law in the Philippines and extended his 105 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:58,840 Speaker 1: rule beyond the limit of two terms. NINOI was expected 106 00:07:58,880 --> 00:08:02,360 Speaker 1: to win the nineteenth of any three presidential election, so 107 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:04,880 Speaker 1: he was one of the first people put in jail 108 00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:09,880 Speaker 1: on made up charges including murder and firearms possession. Ninoy 109 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:13,480 Speaker 1: spent nearly eight years in prison. While he was imprisoned, 110 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:17,200 Speaker 1: his wife became more politicized and acted as his liaison 111 00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:21,640 Speaker 1: to the public. Carrazon, Aquino memorized his speeches and gave 112 00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:25,000 Speaker 1: them to the press. When Marcos decided to hold parliamentary 113 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:28,680 Speaker 1: elections in nineteen seventy eight, under a guise of democracy, 114 00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:32,480 Speaker 1: Ninoi ran for a seat in parliament, with Corazone running 115 00:08:32,520 --> 00:08:35,720 Speaker 1: a large part of the campaign. Despite the fact that 116 00:08:35,800 --> 00:08:40,200 Speaker 1: NINOI got overwhelming support, Marcos rigged and won the election. 117 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:45,240 Speaker 1: The Akeno family moved to Massachusetts in nineteen eighty after 118 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 1: US President Jimmy Carter pressure to Marcos to release Ninoi 119 00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:53,160 Speaker 1: from prison so he could undergo heart surgery. Carralson described 120 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:55,400 Speaker 1: her time in the Boston area as some of the 121 00:08:55,440 --> 00:08:59,120 Speaker 1: best years of her life, but in ninety three, ninoy 122 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:02,880 Speaker 1: returned to the Pilippines to help with parliamentary elections. He 123 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:07,920 Speaker 1: was assassinated when he arrived at the Manila Airport. Akeenyo 124 00:09:08,120 --> 00:09:12,120 Speaker 1: then became a central figure in anti Marcos politics. As 125 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:14,960 Speaker 1: a leader in this charge, known as the People Power Movement, 126 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:19,080 Speaker 1: she took part in demonstrations against the regime. When Marcos 127 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:23,200 Speaker 1: called for elections in nineteen eighty five, Akeenyo supporters urged 128 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:27,679 Speaker 1: her to run for president. After initial hesitancy, she agreed 129 00:09:27,720 --> 00:09:30,559 Speaker 1: to run and picked Salvador Laurel as her running mate. 130 00:09:31,040 --> 00:09:35,400 Speaker 1: They ran under his coalition, the United Nationalist Democratic Organization. 131 00:09:36,600 --> 00:09:39,920 Speaker 1: The MARCOS charged her with a lack of political experience. 132 00:09:40,240 --> 00:09:44,760 Speaker 1: Akenyo gained support through her opposition to the president. Though 133 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:47,360 Speaker 1: it was clear that Akeenyo was winning. When the polls 134 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 1: closed on February seventh, nineteen six, the government declared Marcos 135 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:57,160 Speaker 1: the winner. Akeenyo and her supporters protested the outcome, and 136 00:09:57,240 --> 00:10:01,559 Speaker 1: after weeks of conflict, Marcos fled the philipp means. A 137 00:10:01,679 --> 00:10:04,640 Speaker 1: Kenya was sworn in as the first female President of 138 00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:11,120 Speaker 1: the Philippines on February nine six. During her presidency, several 139 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:15,280 Speaker 1: coups attempted to remove her from office. She promoted land reform, 140 00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:19,240 Speaker 1: free speech, and the prosecution of human rights abusers, but 141 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:23,520 Speaker 1: many of these promises went unfulfilled during her tenure. Besides 142 00:10:23,559 --> 00:10:26,079 Speaker 1: the political challenges she faced, she had to deal with 143 00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 1: natural disasters and power failures. She remained president until June 144 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:35,000 Speaker 1: of nine. A Kenya was diagnosed with cancer in two 145 00:10:35,040 --> 00:10:38,720 Speaker 1: thousand eight, and she died the next year. Months later. 146 00:10:38,920 --> 00:10:43,280 Speaker 1: Her son was elected President of the Philippines. I'm Eve 147 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:46,000 Speaker 1: Jeff Coote and hopefully you know a little more about 148 00:10:46,080 --> 00:10:49,640 Speaker 1: history today than you did yesterday. If you're hungry for 149 00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:53,319 Speaker 1: more history, you can find us on Twitter, Facebook, and 150 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:58,800 Speaker 1: Instagram at t d i h C podcast. We also 151 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:03,080 Speaker 1: accept electronic letters at this day at i heart media 152 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:06,600 Speaker 1: dot com. We're here every day, so you know where 153 00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:16,760 Speaker 1: to find us. Bye. For more podcasts from my heart Radio, 154 00:11:16,880 --> 00:11:19,440 Speaker 1: visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 155 00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:20,720 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.