1838 Civil Rights Movement

The decision to remove the right to vote from 40,000 Free Black Pennsylvanians in 1838 was fueled by white supremacy.   It had been foreshadowed in poll harassment of Black men as they tried to vote 10 years earlier.  The Black communities in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia coordinated political, community, publishing, and awareness efforts to keep the right to vote.  The right was lost in October 1838 and would not be regained until the 15th Amendment to the US Constitution.   This timeline walks you through early 19th Century efforts to support Black rights with activities starting in 1830.