Rainey Joseph Hayne: Summary of Rainey Joseph, The Key Individuals Affected
For the final Portfolio Project, you will write a paper about a person or an event in a period of U.S. history up to Reconstruction that is relevant to your major area of study or of interest to you. You will write about this person or event from the perspective of another historical personality who lived at the same time as the person or event you are going to describe.
For your historical personality, try to select someone from an under-represented population (examples of possible perspectives include that of Anne Hutchinson, Pocahontas, or Sojourner Truth). This analysis is to make you think about how events/people's actions were interpreted at the time.
There are three Portfolio Project Milestones due in Modules 2, 4, and 7. Visit each Module folder for full details on those assignments.
Week 2: Portfolio Description Posting (5 Points)
Week 4: Declare Portfolio Topic (35 Points)
Week 7: Outline (10 Points)
Key Points::
Remember that you will be writing from the perspective of a historical person about another person or an event from a period of U.S. history up to Reconstruction. From your historical person's perspective, provide a thorough summary of the person or event you've chosen to write about, including the incidents that took place and any key individuals involved or affected.
Address the general importance of the person or event in the context of U.S. history.
Now, explain specifically how the person or event changed “your” daily life—“you” being the historical persona you have adopted.
Think long-term: How will the person or the event you are describing make a long-term impact in the lives of people who are in the under-represented group to which your historical person/perspective belongs?
Paper Requirements:
Your paper must be four to six pages, not including the required references and title pages.
Use at least five sources, not including the textbook. Include a scholarly journal article. Include at least one primary source from those identified in the syllabus. Definition of a Primary Source: A primary source is any source, document or artifact that was created at the time of the event. It was usually created by someone who witnessed the event, lived during or even shortly afterwards, or somehow would have first-hand knowledge of that event. A secondary source, by contrast, is written by a historian or someone writing about the event after it happened.
Have an introduction and strong thesis statement. Make use of support and examples supporting your thesis
Finish with a forceful conclusion reiterating your main idea.
Format your paper according to the CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA Requirements.
Can you let me know which person you chooses so I can do my Module updates as required per the syllabus? I have to report about which figure I'm writing so my professor knows I am working on my project.
Rainey Joseph Hayne
Name
Institution
Rainey Joseph Hayne
Introduction
The Reconstruction Era marked such a critical and consequential period in US history. It is the age that came immediately after the Civil War, that is, between 1865 and 1877 (Foner, 1990). The Personalities and events during this time came up to restore normalcy in conquered Confederate States through the establishment and protection of the Freedmen. Most historical figures focused on economic recovery of the South and the freedom of Black Americans and other immigrants from racial discrimination and violence. Most abolitionists and reformers joined the wave for restoration during Reconstruction. This paper seeks to unravel a historical personality whose impact during the period is remarkable. One such Figure is Rainey Joseph Hayne.
Summary of Rainey Joseph
Rainey Joseph was born to Grace and Edward Rainey, who were from France, he had one sibling. Since it was illegal for black children to obtain an education, Rainey received minimal education, though he was taught the barbering trade by his father Edward. Later on, Joseph relocated to Philadelphia, he continued his barbering business and married his wife Susan, with whom he had three children. Two years later, the Confederate Army invited Rainey to serve on the battlefield at the beginning of the Civil War. With the abolition of Slavery in Britain, the Raineys escaped to Bermuda (Packwood, 1977).
The flourishing economy allowed the couple to set up an executive barber shop and dress store from which they earned a living. They amassed sufficient wealth owing to the booming economy and the growing population in St George and Hamilton, Bermuda. Rainey then received information pertaining the progress of the Civil war from transient sailors. They reverted to Charleston in 1866 upon the Union Conquest. The volume of wealth accumulated in Bermuda enabled him to climb the status ladder in the community. This raised his eminence as a leader in the society.
Joseph Rainey began his leadership journey in 1867 when he returned to his hometown Georgetown, and took up the position of chairman of the Republican County. One year later, Rainey represented Georgetown in the State Constitutional Convention in Charleston. He also functioned as Georgetown’s census taker at the state labor commission in 1869. The state land commission later recruited Hayne as an agent. The state militia also had him serve as a brigadier general during the same period. Those positions prepared him for the political career in which he was to venture into a year later. In 1870, he was elected to public office, particularly the Senate. He was elected to the finance committee’s chairman as soon as he got into the Senate.
The Key Individuals Affected
Benjamin F Whittemore’s resignation from the office of the Representative of northeastern South Carolina in February 1870 paved the way for Rainey’s public service. This was after being indicted for the offense of charging the US Military academies for appointments. The Republican Party thus designated Joseph Rainey to take up Whittemore’s position in the House of Representatives. Upon victory, Rainey would serve for Whittemore’s remaining term, 1869 to 1871, in the 41st Congress. The nomination by the Republican Party was an advantage since the Party was predominant in the South.
The Republican Party nominated him again to the 42nd Congress in 1871. CW Dudley, a Democrat, contested for Whittemore’s position alongside Joseph Rainey. He obtained a majority of the vote, 63% on the 19th of October 1870. A single poll conducted to replace Whittemore in the 42nd Congress got Joseph Rainey defeating CW Dudley by a significant 865 of the vote. Rainey took the oath of office on the12th of December 1870. He became the first black person to be elected to the House of Representatives. Rainey, later on, took up the position of a presiding officer in the House of Representatives. He was perhaps the longest-serving black during the reconstruction era. His policies were approved by both blacks and whites earning him a straight ticket into the 43rd Congress (Harrington, 2006).
The General Importance of Joseph Rainey in the Context of US History
Rainey was unbiased as he impartially championed the welfare of his black and white constituents. Rainey utilized his rising political influence to sway the state of South Carolina State into retaining the customs duty on rice. This allowed the State’s economy to grow as it collected revenue from rice exports and reserved the money for infrastructural development. Rainey also tabled a petition whose implementati...