First Black elected to Congress John W. Menard, defeated a white candidate, 5,107 to 2,833, in an election in Louisiana's Second Congressional District to fill an unexpired term in the Fortieth Congress. U.S. Grant elected president with Black voters in the South providing the decisive margin. Grant received a minority of the white votes in defeating Democrat Horatio Seymour, 3,015,071 votes to 2,709,613.
