Lily-White Movement
Encyclopedia
The Lily-White Movement was an anti-civil-rights movement within the Republican Party
in the United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century. The movement was a response to the political and socioeconomic gains made by African-Americans following the Civil War
and the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution
, which eliminated slavery. Black leaders gained increasing influence in the party by organizing blacks as an important voting bloc. Conservative white
groups attempted to eliminate this influence and recover white voters who had defected to the Democratic Party
.
The term Lily-White Movement is generally attributed to Texas Republican leader Norris Wright Cuney
who used the term in an 1888 Republican convention to describe efforts by white conservatives to oust blacks from positions of Texas party leadership and incite riots to divide the party. The term came to be used nationally to describe this ongoing movement as it further developed in the early 1900s. Localized movements began immediately after the war but by the beginning of the 20th century the effort had become national.
According to author and professor Michael K. Fauntroy,
This movement is largely credited with driving blacks out of the Republican party during the early 20th century, setting the stage for their eventual support of the Democrats.
, however, nullified most of these laws and the federal Freedman's Bureau was able to regulate many of the affairs of Southern blacks. Groups such as the Union League
and the Radical Republicans sought total equality and complete integration of blacks into American society. The Republican Party itself held significant power in the South during Reconstruction because of the federal government's role.
During the 19th century numerous African Americans were elected to the United States Congress
, all members of the Republican party. The first black senator
was Hiram Rhodes Revels
of Mississippi
. The first black representative
was John Willis Menard
of Louisiana. Over the course of the century, an additional black senator (from Mississippi) would be elected and more than 20 black representatives would be elected from Louisiana, South Carolina
, Georgia
, Alabama
, Florida
, North Carolina
, and Virginia
.
Blacks held other powerful political positions in government. P. B. S. Pinchback
was elected lieutenant governor of Louisiana and even served briefly as governor. Pierre Caliste Landry became mayor of Donaldsonville, Louisiana
. Edward Duplex
became mayor of Wheatland, California
. In Texas, Norris Wright Cuney
rose to the chairmanship of the Texas Republican Party.
In the South the Republican party gradually came to be known as "the party of the Negro." In Texas, for example, blacks made 90% of the party during the 1880s. The Democratic party increasingly came to be seen by many in the white community as the party of respectability.
Following the death of Texas Republican leader Edmund J. Davis
in 1883, black civil rights leader Norris Wright Cuney
rose to the Republican chairmanship in Texas becoming the national committeeman in 1889. This development, among others, led to the Lily-White Movement's becoming a more organized, nationwide effort.
By the 1890s most blacks had abandoned or were prevented from seeking office in the U.S. Congress. The last five African Americans that served in Congress, all college-educated, were the product of Reconstruction era educational and economic opportunities which were significantly eroded in the early 20th century. The last black Congressman of this earlier era departed the Congress in 1901. Blacks still had some influence in the Republican party but their influence continued to decline rapidly.
Republican Congressional Convention in 1922.
One of the Black and Tan
partisans who continued to hold appointed office was the customs inspector and later comptroller of customs, Walter L. Cohen
of New Orleans
, who obtained appointments from four Republican presidents and continued in office through the Calvin Coolidge
administration.
During the NAACP national convention in 1926, the delegates expressed their disappointment with the party.
An interesting historical irony is that, though strengthening the Republican Party in the South was a major motivation of the movement, the party faded to near irrelevance in the South during the early 1900s despite the movement's success.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
in the United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century. The movement was a response to the political and socioeconomic gains made by African-Americans following the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution
Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution officially abolished and continues to prohibit slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. It was passed by the Senate on April 8, 1864, passed by the House on January 31, 1865, and adopted on December 6, 1865. On...
, which eliminated slavery. Black leaders gained increasing influence in the party by organizing blacks as an important voting bloc. Conservative white
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
groups attempted to eliminate this influence and recover white voters who had defected to the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
.
The term Lily-White Movement is generally attributed to Texas Republican leader Norris Wright Cuney
Norris Wright Cuney
Norris Wright Cuney, or simply Wright Cuney, was an American politician, union leader, and African American activist in Texas in the United States. He became active in Galveston politics serving as an alderman and a national Republican delegate...
who used the term in an 1888 Republican convention to describe efforts by white conservatives to oust blacks from positions of Texas party leadership and incite riots to divide the party. The term came to be used nationally to describe this ongoing movement as it further developed in the early 1900s. Localized movements began immediately after the war but by the beginning of the 20th century the effort had become national.
According to author and professor Michael K. Fauntroy,
- "The lily white movement is one of the darkest and underexamined eras of US Republicanism."
This movement is largely credited with driving blacks out of the Republican party during the early 20th century, setting the stage for their eventual support of the Democrats.
Background
Immediately following the war all of the Southern states enacted "Black Codes," laws intended specifically to curtail the rights of the newly freed slaves. many Northern states enacted their own "Black Codes" restricting or barring black immigration. The Civil Rights Act of 1866Civil Rights Act of 1866
The Civil Rights Act of 1866, , enacted April 9, 1866, is a federal law in the United States that was mainly intended to protect the civil rights of African-Americans, in the wake of the American Civil War...
, however, nullified most of these laws and the federal Freedman's Bureau was able to regulate many of the affairs of Southern blacks. Groups such as the Union League
Union League
A Union League is one of a number of organizations established starting in 1862, during the American Civil War to promote loyalty to the Union and the policies of Abraham Lincoln. They were also known as Loyal Leagues. They comprised upper middle class men who supported efforts such as the United...
and the Radical Republicans sought total equality and complete integration of blacks into American society. The Republican Party itself held significant power in the South during Reconstruction because of the federal government's role.
During the 19th century numerous African Americans were elected to the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
, all members of the Republican party. The first black senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
was Hiram Rhodes Revels
Hiram Rhodes Revels
Hiram Rhodes Revels was the first African American to serve in the United States Senate. Because he preceded any African American in the House, he was the first African American in the U.S. Congress as well. He represented Mississippi in 1870 and 1871 during Reconstruction...
of Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
. The first black representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
was John Willis Menard
John Willis Menard
John Willis Menard was the first African American elected to the United States Congress.Menard was born in Kaskaskia, Illinois, to parents of Louisiana Creole descent from New Orleans who were free people of color. He may have been related to Michel Branamour Menard, a French-Canadian fur trader...
of Louisiana. Over the course of the century, an additional black senator (from Mississippi) would be elected and more than 20 black representatives would be elected from Louisiana, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, and Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
Blacks held other powerful political positions in government. P. B. S. Pinchback
P. B. S. Pinchback
Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchback was the first non-white and first person of African American descent to become governor of a U.S. state...
was elected lieutenant governor of Louisiana and even served briefly as governor. Pierre Caliste Landry became mayor of Donaldsonville, Louisiana
Donaldsonville, Louisiana
Donaldsonville is a city in and the parish seat of Ascension Parish, Louisiana, United States, along the west bank of the Mississippi River. The population was 7,605 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:Acadians began to settle in the area in...
. Edward Duplex
Edward duplex
Edward Park Duplex was an African-American pioneer of California. He was elected mayor of Wheatland, California in 1888.-Biography:...
became mayor of Wheatland, California
Wheatland, California
Wheatland is a city in Yuba County, California, United States. The population was 3,456 at the 2010 census, up from 2,275 at the 2000 census. Wheatland is located southeast of Marysville...
. In Texas, Norris Wright Cuney
Norris Wright Cuney
Norris Wright Cuney, or simply Wright Cuney, was an American politician, union leader, and African American activist in Texas in the United States. He became active in Galveston politics serving as an alderman and a national Republican delegate...
rose to the chairmanship of the Texas Republican Party.
In the South the Republican party gradually came to be known as "the party of the Negro." In Texas, for example, blacks made 90% of the party during the 1880s. The Democratic party increasingly came to be seen by many in the white community as the party of respectability.
Development within the party
From the beginning of Reconstruction conservative Southern white factions fought against factions of blacks and liberal white factions for control of the party. White Republican leaders became increasingly concerned about the exodus of white voters in the South and other parts of the country, some out of concerns for the strength of the party and some for purely racist reasons.Following the death of Texas Republican leader Edmund J. Davis
Edmund J. Davis
Edmund Jackson Davis was an American lawyer, soldier, and politician. He was a Southern Unionist and served as a Union general in the American Civil War, besides serving one term as the 14th Governor of Texas.-Early years:...
in 1883, black civil rights leader Norris Wright Cuney
Norris Wright Cuney
Norris Wright Cuney, or simply Wright Cuney, was an American politician, union leader, and African American activist in Texas in the United States. He became active in Galveston politics serving as an alderman and a national Republican delegate...
rose to the Republican chairmanship in Texas becoming the national committeeman in 1889. This development, among others, led to the Lily-White Movement's becoming a more organized, nationwide effort.
By the 1890s most blacks had abandoned or were prevented from seeking office in the U.S. Congress. The last five African Americans that served in Congress, all college-educated, were the product of Reconstruction era educational and economic opportunities which were significantly eroded in the early 20th century. The last black Congressman of this earlier era departed the Congress in 1901. Blacks still had some influence in the Republican party but their influence continued to decline rapidly.
Downfall of black Republicans
By the beginning of the 20th century black political influence was in freefall. During the first three decades of the 20th century blacks were excluded from the U.S. Congress. As the 1920s came the movement had largely succeeded in establishing almost total white supremacy in the party. Numerous events point to this fact such as the barring of black leaders from the VirginiaVirginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
Republican Congressional Convention in 1922.
One of the Black and Tan
Black and Tan
Black and Tan is a drink made from a blend of pale ale, usually Bass Pale Ale, and a dark beer such as a stout or porter, most often Guinness. Sometimes a pale lager is used instead of ale; this is usually called a half and half. Contrary to popular belief, however, Black and Tan as a mixture of...
partisans who continued to hold appointed office was the customs inspector and later comptroller of customs, Walter L. Cohen
Walter L. Cohen
Walter L. Cohen, Sr. was an African American Republican politician and businessman in the U.S. state of Louisiana.The New Orleans native was the son of Bernard Cohen and the former Amelia Bingaman...
of New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, who obtained appointments from four Republican presidents and continued in office through the Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge
John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state...
administration.
During the NAACP national convention in 1926, the delegates expressed their disappointment with the party.
- “Our political salvation and our social survival lie in our absolute independence of party allegiance in politics and the casting of our vote for our friends and against our enemies whoever they may be and whatever party labels they carry.”
An interesting historical irony is that, though strengthening the Republican Party in the South was a major motivation of the movement, the party faded to near irrelevance in the South during the early 1900s despite the movement's success.
Important figures
- Herbert HooverHerbert HooverHerbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
, Republican PresidentPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
between 1929 and 1933, who made campaign promises and alliances with black leaders, and subsequently broke those promises leading to a large-scale exodus of blacks from the party. - James P. NewcombJames Pearson NewcombJames Pearson Newcomb was a journalist and Secretary of State of Texas. He was a Republican. Appointed by Governor Edmund J. Davis, he served between January 1, 1870 and January 17, 1874....
, Republican Secretary of State of TexasSecretary of State of TexasThe Secretary of State of Texas is one of six state officials designated by the Texas Constitution to form the executive department of that U.S. state...
between 1870 and 1874, journalistJournalistA journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, and influential Texas party leader long after. - Jeter C. PritchardJeter Connelly PritchardJeter Connelly Pritchard was a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of North Carolina between 1895 and 1903. He was the only Republican to represent a southern state in the United States Senate during that time....
, Republican U.S. Senator from North CarolinaNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
between 1895 and 1903, and considered by some to have been the leading figure in the movement at the turn of the century. - William Howard TaftWilliam Howard TaftWilliam Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
, Republican President between 1909 and 1913, who sought to expand Republican appeal in the South by eliminating black involvement. - Booker T. WashingtonBooker T. WashingtonBooker Taliaferro Washington was an American educator, author, orator, and political leader. He was the dominant figure in the African-American community in the United States from 1890 to 1915...
, an educator and author, and one of the leading opponents of the movement.
See also
- Nadir of American race relationsNadir of American race relationsThe "nadir of American race relations" is a term that refers to the period in United States history from the end of Reconstruction through the early 20th century, when racism in the country is deemed to have been worse than in any other period after the American Civil War. During this period,...
- Norris Wright CuneyNorris Wright CuneyNorris Wright Cuney, or simply Wright Cuney, was an American politician, union leader, and African American activist in Texas in the United States. He became active in Galveston politics serving as an alderman and a national Republican delegate...
- African American HistoryAfrican American historyAfrican-American history is the portion of American history that specifically discusses the African American or Black American ethnic group in the United States. Most African Americans are the descendants of captive Africans held in the United States from 1619 to 1865...
- Timeline of the American Civil Rights MovementTimeline of the American Civil Rights MovementThis is a timeline of African-American Civil Rights Movement.-Pre-17th century:1565*unknown – The colony of St...