Race Distinctions in American Law

by Gilbert Thomas Stephenson

State or Territory.	“Grandfather Clause.”	“Character Clause.”	“Understanding Clause.”	Persons Excluded from Suffrage.
				Paupers.	Insane.	Criminals.	Indians.	Chinese.
Wyoming[[770]]	One entitled to vote under old Constitution might continue to vote under new Constitution of 1889.				Idiots and insane.	Convicts of felony.
Alaska[[771]]
Arizona[[772]]					Idiots, insane under guardianship.	Convicts of felony.
Hawaii[[773]]					Idiots and insane.	Unrestored convicts.
New Mexico[[774]]						Unpardoned convicts.	Indians, until disabilities removed by Congress.
Philippines[[775]]	One may vote if he held substantial office under the Spanish régime.
Porto Rico[[723]]					Insane.	Unpardoned felons.

NOTES

[661]. The following table, giving the dates of the Constitutions of the various States and the Organic Laws of the Territories with the sections referring to suffrage, up to and including 1865, indicates the extent to which suffrage was restricted to white people before and at that date. “White,” “white freeman,” “free white,” etc., mean that only white persons or white freemen or free white persons had the elective franchise. Where the suffrage is given to male “citizens” or “inhabitants” whether Negroes were included depends upon whether they were treated in those States as “citizens” or “inhabitants.”

Alabama,	Const.,	1819,	art.	III,	sec.	5	White.
	Const.,	1865,	art.	VIII,	sec.	1	White.
Arkansas,	Const.,	1836,	art.	IV,	sec.	2	Free white.
	Const.,	1864,	art.	IV,	sec.	2	Free white.
California,	Const.,	1849,	art.	II,	sec.	2	White.
Colorado,	Ter. Govt.,	1861,			sec.	5	Free white.
Connecticut,	Const.,	1818,	art.	VI,	sec.	2	White.
	Amend.,	1845,	art.	VIII,	sec.
Delaware,	Const.,	1792,	art.	IV,	sec.	1	Free white.
	Const.,	1831,	art.	IV,	sec.	1	Free white.
Florida,	Ter. Govt.,	1822,			sec.	11	Free white.
	Const.,	1838,	art.	VI,	sec.	1	Free white.
	Const.,	1865,	art.	VI,	sec.	1	Free white.
Georgia,	Const.,	1777,	art.	IX,			White.
	Const.,	1789,	art.	IV,	sec.	1	Citizens and inhabitants.
	Const.,	1798,	art.	IV,	sec.	1	Citizens and inhabitants.
	Const.,	1865,	art.	V,	sec.	1	Free white.
Illinois,	Const.,	1818,	art.	II,	sec.	27	White.
	Const.,	1848,	art.	VI,	sec.	1	White.
Indiana,	Const.,	1816,	art.	VI,	sec.	1	White.
	Const.,	1851,	art.	II,	sec.	2	White.
Iowa,	Ter. Govt.,	1838,			sec.	5	Free white.
	Const.,	1846,	art.	II,	sec.	1	White.
	Const.,	1857,	art.	II,	sec.	1	White.
Kansas,	Ter. Govt.,	1854,			sec.	5	Free white.
	Const.,	1855,	art.	II,	sec.	2	White.
	Const.,	1857,	art.	VIII,	sec.	1	Citizens.
	Const.,	1858,	art.	II,	sec.	1	Citizens.
	Const.,	1859,	art.	V,	sec.	1	White.
Kentucky,	Const.,	1792,	art.	III,			Free citizens.
	Const.,	1799,	art.	II,	sec.	8	Free citizens.
	Const.,	1850,	art.	II,	sec.	8	Free white.
Louisiana,	Const.,	1812,	art.	II,	sec.	8	Free white.
	Const.,	1845,	tit.	II,	art.	10	Free white.
	Const.,	1852,	tit.	II,	art.	10	Free white.
	Const.,	1864,	tit.	III,	art.	14	White.
Maine,	Const.,	1820,	art.	II,	sec.	1	Citizens.
Maryland,	Const.,	1776,	art.	II,			Free men.
	Amend.,	1810,	art.	XIV,			Free white.
	Const.,	1851,	art.	I,	sec.	1	Free white.
	Const.,	1864,	art.	I,	sec.	1	White.
Massachusetts,	Const.,	1780,	chap.	I,	art.	4	Freeholders.
	Amend.,	1822,	art.	III,			Citizens.
Michigan,	Const.,	1835,	art.	II,	sec.	1	White.
	Const.,	1850,	art.	VII,	sec.	1	White.
Minnesota,	Ter. Govt.,	1849,			sec.	5	Free white.
	Const.,	1857,	art.	VII,	sec.	1	White.
Mississippi,	Ter. Govt.,	1808,			sec.	1	Free white.
	Const.,	1817,	art.	III,	sec.	1	Free white.
Const.,	1832,	art.	III,	sec.	1	Free white.
Missouri,	Ter. Govt.,	1812,			sec.	11	Free white.
	Const.,	1820,	art.	III,	sec.	10	Free white.
	Const.,	1865,	art.	II,	sec.	18	White.
Nevada,	Ter. Govt.,	1850,			sec.	5	Free white.
	Ter. Govt.,	1861,			sec.	5	Free white.
	Const.,	1864,	art.	II,	sec.	1	White.
New Hampshire,	Const.,	1784,	part	II,			Inhabitants.
	Const.,	1792,	part	II,	sec.	28	Inhabitants.
New Jersey,	Const.,	1776,	art.	IV,			Inhabitants.
	Const.,	1844,	art.	II,	sec.	1	White.
New York,	Const.,	1777,	art.	VII,			Inhabitants.
	Const.,	1821,	art.	II,	sec.	1	Citizens.
	Const.,	1846,	art.	II,	sec.	1	Citizens.
North Carolina,	Const.,	1776,	art.	VII,	sec.		Freemen.
	Amend.,	1835,	art.	I,	sec.	3	Freemen. (Negroes excepted).
	Amend.,	1854,					Free white.
Ohio,	Const.,	1802,	art.	IV,	sec.	1	White.
	Const.,	1851,	art.	V,	sec.	1	White.
Oregon,	Ter. Govt.,	1848,			sec.	5	White.
	Const.,	1857,	art.	II,	sec.	2	White. (Negroes excepted).
Pennsylvania,	Const.,	1776,	art.	II,	sec.	6	Freemen.
	Const.,	1790,	art.	III,	sec.	1	Freemen.
	Const.,	1838,	art.	III,	sec.	1	White freemen.
Rhode Island,	Const.,	1842,	art.	II,	sec.	1	Citizens.
South Carolina,	Const.,	1776,	res.	XI,			“As required by law.”
	Const.,	1778,	res.	XIII,	sec.		Free white.
	Const.,	1790,	art.	I,	sec.	4	Free white.
	Amend.,	1810,					Free white.
Tennessee,	Const.,	1796,	art.	III,	sec.	1	Freemen.
	Const.,	1834,	art.	IV,	sec.	1	Free white.
Texas,	Const.,	1836,	art.	VI,	sec.	11	Citizens.
	Const.,	1845,	art.	III,			Free (Negroes excepted).
Vermont,	Const.,	1777,	chap.	II,	sec.	6	Men of quiet and peaceable behavior.
	Const.,	1786,	chap.	I,	sec.	9	Men of quiet and peaceable behavior.
	Const.,	1793,	chap.	II,	sec.	21	Men of quiet and peaceable behavior.
Virginia,	Const.,	1830,	art.	III,	sec.	14	White.
	Const.,	1850,	art.	III,	sec.	1	White.
	Const.,	1864,	art.	III,	sec.	1	White.
West Virginia,	Const.,	1861–63,	art.	III,	sec.	1	White.
Wisconsin,	Ter. Govt.,	1836,			sec.	5	Free white.
	Const.,	1848,	art.	III,	sec.	1	White.

[662]. Art. II, sec. 2.

[663]. Art. VII, sec. 1.

[664]. Const., 1799, art. III.

[665]. Const., 1845, art. III.

[666]. Art. II, sec. 1.

[667]. Art. III, sec. 1.