George W. Bell makes his case against the Separate Coach Law |
George W. Bell: During the 1891 legislative session, George W. Bell was the only African-American to be elected to the Arkansas Senate. He presented eloquent and impassioned speeches in opposition to the controversial Separate Coach Bill. This measure specifically addressed the issue of traveling by railroad and required black and white passengers to ride in separate coaches. The Separate Coach Bill was the first law to legalize segregation in Arkansas, thereby becoming the first Jim Crow law in Arkansas. The bill technically required railroad companies in Arkansas to provide separate but equal facilities for the two races; however, this type of equality was rarely attained.
Click here for a quote from George W. Bell
Jeff Davis: Jeff Davis was the 20th governor of Arkansas, serving three consecutive terms from 1901-1907. Although born into an upper middle class family, Davis promoted himself as a man of the people. He appealed to farmers and to working-class Arkansans, basing his rhetoric on the public's nostalgia for pre-industrialized America. His ultimate goal in state politics was to triumph over big government and big business.
Jacob Donohoo: Jacob Donohoo was one of eleven African Americans who served in the Arkansas House of Representatives during the 1891 legislative session. This session is best known for passing the Separate Coach Bill, the first law to legalize segregation in Arkansas. First elected to serve in the House of Representatives in 1876, Donohoo was re-elected for a total of seven consecutive terms. His sixteen years in the House of Representatives made him the most experienced of the other African-Americans who served with him in 1891.
William H. Grey: William H. Grey was a prominent African-American political leader in Arkansas during the Reconstruction Era. He represented Phillips County at the Arkansas Constitutional Convention of 1868 where he became known for his strong oratory skills and his powerful voice. During the convention, he helped obtain certain political rights and government recognition for newly-freed ex-slaves. Grey fought for the basic civil liberties of African-Americans, including the right to vote and the right to claim U.S. citizenship.
Click here for a quote from William H. Grey
Isaac Murphy: Isaac Murphy was a delegate to the Arkansas Secession Convention. On May 6, 1861, he was one of only five delegates who voted not to secede from the Union. After the President of the Convention asked for the vote to be made unanimous, only Isaac Murphy stood firm in his belief and refused to change his vote. Believed to be a traitor, he was forced from his home in Huntsville, where he traveled to Missouri to join the Union Army. In 1863, he returned to Arkansas when Union forces invaded Little Rock. He was appointed as federal provisional governor, where he faced the problems of being the governor of a divided sate, with its citizens having divided loyalties. He was later elected as the eighth governor of Arkansas, serving from 1864-1868.
Click here for a quote from Isaac Murphy.
To find out more about Arkansas political history, see our exhibit "On the Stump: Arkansas Politics, 1819–1919".
Next: The Civil War »
|
