also during the Reconstruction many black Americans were elected offers both at the state and national level. Texas- 42 black American's elected to state legislature, 50 in South Carolina , 127 in Louisiana and 99 in Alabama, black Americans also became US senators and congressmen.

after the end of reconstruction- southern state governments dominated by the Democratic Party began a process where they removed most black Americans from the voting and political system of the Southern states. this led to the reverse of political gains of black Americans achieved during the reconstruction and insured the dominance of the white dominated Democratic party in the south until the 1970s.

period of Reconstruction= revolution in electorate of former confederate states. the Fifteenth amendment extended the right to vote to all adult black Americans- 700,000 ex-slaves were enfranchised. this led to black voters outnumbering white voters in 5 of the former Confederate States.

the impact of literacy tests, poll taxes and property tests led to black Americans voting in the Southern States to drop of 65% and white voting drop of 26%.

Changes made by Mississippi and Louisiana = major negative impact on the size of black electorate- shrank a lot. Louisiana reduction 90%. 1890s each southern state passed constitutional amendments the placed limits on voting that hit black Americans hardest.

Poll taxes- put tax on voting. Poll taxes put not only black Americans or voting but poor people in general.

Literacy Tests- measures a person ability in reading and writing. Literacy tests were used in the voter registration process in southern states of the U.S. with the intent to disenfranchise Black voters.

Grandfather Clause adopted in numerous states- aimed to cement the divide between poor white Americans and poor black Americans in states it was introduced.

1890- Mississippi population 55% black American. However of the 134 delegates appointed to draw up the new state constitution only one delegate was black,

Article 12 of new state- constitution made major changes to the voting system. main way of reducing the black vote was to demand A poll tax of $2 for voter registration. Poverty was very high among the black Mississippi's and this poll tax disproportionately impacted black voters who could not afford to pay it.

before 1890 the constitution and laws of Mississippi sated the all-male Citizens over 21 could register to vote if they lived in the state for 6-months and in the county for 1 month. The only exceptions are those who were insane or who had committed crimes the disqualified them.

another method used was to introduce a literacy test for all voter registration. this involved the ability to recite and explain parts of the Mississippi state constitution. 60% of Mississippi's black population illiterate in 1890- so also had a large effect on the number of black Americans able to vote.

major attempt to exclude black Americans from voting in Mississippi in 1890. 1890- delegation was appointed by the state legislature to adopt a new state constitution. According to delegate quote today in the local state capital newspaper (The Jackson Clarion-Ledger) the state legislator wanted a new constitution for one reason- deprived black Americans have the right to vote.

to add to Black exclusion from the electoral process all primary elections of Democrat Party were exclusively white. as these were organised by political parties as private organisations they were not covered in the state courts and tuition. as the Democratic candidate almost always one it made it virtually relevant if the remaining registered black voters participated in a federal or state election

impact of these changes radically affected the numbers of registered voters. before 1890 67% of those people who are voting age were black Americans - by 1st of January 1892 when the new constitution came into effect proportion dropped to 5.7% lasted until 1960s. by 1899 approximately 122,000 white males for registered to vote 82% of the potential white-voting population.

Property Tests- made it illegal to vote unless you owned property

however in 1915 an NAACP legal challenge to the Grandfather Clause was upheld by the US supreme court and it was declared unconstitutional. one of the first legal victories achieved by black Americans against Jim Crow Laws.

the grandfather clause stated that no man who had been eligible to vote on the 1st of January 1867 would be required to meet literacy or property ownership requirements in order to register to vote neither would his son or grandson be required to meet those requirements. Since black Americans were not granted the right to vote until the 15th amendment in 1870 there are excluded from this exemption. Louisiana's law was different to some in that voters her to register under the grandfather clause by the 1st of September 1898

change effectively removed the past majority of black voters from the electoral roll and was passed by 96 votes to 28. L.J. Dossman, State legislator voted in favour of the change because it would remove every black American from the electoral role. the Grandfather Clause had a large impact on at the black vote in Louisiana. 1896- estimated number of black Americans registered to vote in Louisiana was 130,000; in 1904 dropped to an automated number of 1,342.

The Convention delegates included a provision requiring that potential voters passed a l test or own a certain amount of property in order to register. Since many white men were neither literate nor property owners- included a new section 5 to state constitution called the Grandfather Clause.

8th February 1898- the Louisiana constitution convention met for the first time and had similar aims to Mississippi constitution convention of 1890. the president of the convention made clear that the aim of the convention was to ensure the removal of the electorate's illiterate voters.