d) Hiram Revels

Hiram Revels was the first African American senator during the Reconstruction era. Appointed in 1870 to represent Mississippi, his election to the U.S. Senate was a historic milestone. Revels, a minister and educator, faced intense scrutiny and opposition, but his presence in Congress represented a significant step forward in African American political participation during Reconstruction. His tenure, though brief, was a symbol of the progress and challenges of integrating African Americans into the political fabric of post-Civil War America.