Black Mississippians emerged from slavery with their first hopeful glimpses of freedom. Most White Mississippians had grown up treating Black people as property. They did not relish sharing the state’s wealth and political power with people they viewed as "inferior." When Union Army occupation ended, so too did enforcement of civil rights for Black people.
Pictured: A pen sketch on white paper. On the left side are two White men looking disdainfully at Black voters. The man on the left is holding a rolled paper with the words: "Suffrage, Veto." In the center foreground, two Black men in suits stand in line to vote. The man in center waits behind a man placing a ballot in the ballot box. There are two White men behind them. To the right, two men are stationed at the ballot boxes with scornful facial expressions. A sign on the table reads: "The White Man’s Ticket for Mayor, H. Addison."
Credit: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-USZ62-139438
