State Historical Society of Iowa

Guinn v. United States, 1914

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Courtesy of Library of Congress, White, Edward D., "U.S. Reports: Guinn v. United States, 238 U.S. 347 (1915)," U.S. Supreme Court, 1914

Description

The 1914 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, given by Chief Justice Edward White, which outlawed the "Grandfather Clause" and any "literacy test" enacted in the Oklahoma State Constitution and its amendments, and affirmed the conviction of election officials who denied African Americans the ability to vote. These restrictions were being used for several years to deny African Americans the right to vote despite the U.S. Constitution's 15th Amendment.

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Source Dependent Questions

  • The 15th Amendment, which constitutionally protected the right to vote for African Americans, was ratified in 1870. However, this Supreme Court case was decided in 1915. According to the Court, what took place during Oklahoma elections that effectively disenfranchised African Americans?
  • Even though they applied to every Oklahoman, why would "literacy tests" and "Grandfather Clauses" have been much more of a barrier to African Americans than to Whites?
  • Such laws and amendments to state constitutions were common practice in the South. What does this reveal about the value southern Whites placed in controlling the ballot box?

Citation Information

White, Edward D., "U.S. Reports: Guinn v. United States, 238 U.S. 347 (1915)," U.S. Supreme Court, 1914. Courtesy of Library of Congress Courtesy of Library of Congress

State Historical Society of Iowa

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