Mitchell v. United States was a landmark Supreme Court case in Black history that took place in 1875. The case involved John Roy Lynch, an African American man who was elected as a U.S. Representative from Mississippi during the Reconstruction era following the Civil War. Lynch's eligibility to serve in Congress was challenged by Charles H. Mitchell, another individual who claimed that Lynch was not a U.S. citizen and thus ineligible to hold office.

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Lynch, affirming that he was indeed a U.S. citizen and therefore qualified to serve in Congress. The decision in Mitchell v. United States was significant as it reinforced the rights of African Americans to participate in the political process and hold elected office, despite efforts to disenfranchise them through discriminatory laws and practices.

This case highlighted the ongoing struggle for civil rights and equal representation for Black Americans during Reconstruction and set an important precedent for protecting the political rights of African Americans in the United States.