Case history of the lawsuit over the "Mississippi Plan of 1875" - American History 1493-1945

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Field name	Value
Collection Reference Number	GLC09388
From Archive Folder	Documents Relating to the 1870s
Title	Case history of the lawsuit over the "Mississippi Plan of 1875"
Date	12 October 1875
Document Type	Legal document
Content Description	Case history of a lawsuit over the "Mississippi Plan of 1875" brought against Gov. Adelbert Ames to prevent him from organizing two companies of "Colored Militia" to protect blacks during the 1875 election. The lawsuit charged that such "Troops kept in peace, in the fear or apprehension that a riot or insurrection will occur, or that the laws will be obstructed, are but a standing army" and thus illegal. The lawsuit was successful, and the Election Day violence was the worst in American history. Blacks were prevented from voting, effectively ending Reconstruction in Mississippi. Seven manuscript court documents totaling 40 pages.
Subjects	African American History Reconstruction Suffrage Election Politics Law African American Troops Militia
Theme	Reconstruction; Law; Government & Politics; African Americans
Sub-collection	The Gilder Lehrman Collection, 1860-1945
Copyright	The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Module	Civil War, Reconstruction and the Modern Era: 1860-1945