P. B. S. Pinchback
Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchback, born Pinckney Benton Stewart (May 10, 1837 – December 21, 1921) was the first person of African-American descent to become governor of a U.S. state. A Republican, he served as the 24th Governor of Louisiana for 35 days, from December 9, 1872, to January 13, 1873.
Nicholas Lemann, in Redemption: The Last Battle of the Civil War, described Pinchback as "an outsized figure: newspaper publisher, gambler, orator, speculator, dandy, mountebank – served for a few months as the state's Governor and claimed seats in both houses of Congress following disputed elections but could not persuade the members of either to seat him."
Read more about P. B. S. Pinchback: Early Life, Marriage and Family, Military Service and Civil War, Political Career, Later Life, Legacy