Mississippi Disfranchisement Laws
At a glance:
- Series: Great Events from History: North American Series
- Categories: Government and Politics, Social Issues, Reform, and Protest
- Subcategories: African Americans, Blacks, Race, Ethnicity, Racism, Civil Rights, Minority Rights, Minorities, Laws, Acts, Legislation, Elections, Voting, Discrimination, Prejudice
- Curriculum: African American History, American History 1878-1900
- Geographical Location: Mississippi
- Date: August, 1890
Article abstract: State laws effectively eliminate the black vote.
Summary of Event
Mississippi and South Carolina had the largest black populations in the United States. In 1890, fifty-seven of every hundred Mississippians were black. The Fifteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (ratified in 1870) provided that no state could deny the right to vote on account of race; thus, Mississippi had a large black electorate. During the early 1870’s, Mississippi voters elected hundreds of black officeholders, including members of Congress, state...
[The entire page is 1335 words long]