State Historical Society of Iowa

"What a Colored Man Should Do To Vote" Pamphlet from Virginia, 1900

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Courtesy of Library of Congress, "What A Colored Man Should Do To Vote," E.A. Wright, 1900

Description

"What a Colored Man Should Do To Vote" was a pamphlet from 1900 that explained what discriminatory restrictions were being implemented against African Americans when they attempted to vote in the states listed. Most of the states in the pamphlet are in the South and had been part of the Confederacy during the Civil War.

Full Transcript of the Virginia Pamphlet

Transcribed Excerpt from the Virginia Pamphlet

Source Dependent Questions

  • Which requirements to be eligible to vote would be most difficult for formerly enslaved African Americans? Why?
  • Why would requirements such as these push African Americans to feel the need to migrate to a northern state?
  • There is an emphasis in the last paragraph on voting in the best interests of the state, country, and common good rather than those specific to African Americans. Why?
  • How could this strategy improve life in the South for African Americans? How could it delay positive changes?

Citation Information

"What A Colored Man Should Do To Vote," E.A. Wright, 1900. Courtesy of Library of Congress Courtesy of Library of Congress