“Mr. Revels, the colored* Senator from Mississippi, was sworn in and admitted to his seat this afternoon at 4:40 o'clock. There was not an inch of standing or sitting room in the galleries, so densely were they packed; and to say that the interest was intense gives but a faint idea of the feeling which prevailed throughout the entire proceeding...The ceremony was short. Mr. Revels showed no embarrassment whatever, and his demeanor was as dignified as could be expected under the circumstances. The abuse which had been poured upon him and on his race during the last two days might well have shaken the nerves of any one.”

Question

“Mr. Revels, the colored* Senator from Mississippi, was sworn in and admitted to his seat this afternoon at 4:40 o'clock. There was not an inch of standing or sitting room in the galleries, so densely were they packed; and to say that the interest was intense gives but a faint idea of the feeling which prevailed throughout the entire proceeding...The ceremony was short. Mr. Revels showed no embarrassment whatever, and his demeanor was as dignified as could be expected under the circumstances. The abuse which had been poured upon him and on his race during the last two days might well have shaken the nerves of any one.”

-- An account of the Senate swearing-in ceremony, New York Times, February 1871

*Although an acceptable term at the time for non-white people, it is now generally considered an inappropriate term.

Why was the “interest...intense” in this particular Congressional swearing-in ceremony?

This was the first swearing-in ceremony of the Confederate States of America

This was the first time an African American became a United States senator

The Congressional candidate lost the popular vote but was still seated as a senator

This was the first time a woman became a United States senator

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Answer 1

Bot GPT 3.5 answered

This was the first time an African American became a United States senator.