17 stunning photos of black Victorians show how history really looked.

As fun as it is to look back at the fashions of yesteryear, it's also a good reminder that actual history isn't as white as we make it out to be.


Meet Corporal Isaiah Mays.
Born into slavery in Virginia, Mays enlisted in the military as a free man and received a Medal of Honor for his actions in the Wham paymaster robbery of 1889.



http://www.upworthy.com/17-stunning-photos-of-black-victorians-show-how-history-really-looked?c=ufb1

 

2. Or take a moment to admire parasol-wielding Nellie Franklin.
Not much is known about this dapper debutante other than that she was near Tallahassee, Florida, when this photo was taken between 1885 and 1910.

 

3. Eartha Mary Magdalene White was a humanitarian and philanthropist.

A lifelong resident of Jacksonville, Florida, White amassed her fortunes through serial entrepreneurship in real estate, laundry, dry goods, taxis, and more. Along with her adopted mother, Clara (also pictured), she provided for the hungry and homeless and also built the first public school for black students in nearby Bayard, Florida.

 

4. The Honorable Reverend Hiram R. Revels was the first black person to serve in the U.S. Senate.
He only served for about a year for the state of Mississippi from 1870 to 1871 before being appointed as the first president of Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College (now Alcorn State University).