And slaverys legacies but the obligations that history has put to us. Its my pleasure today to introduce our two speakers in order of their appearance. First up this morning is professor Tracy Campbell of the department of history of the university of kentucky. Professor campbell who received his ba from the university of kentucky has a remarkable record of teaching and scholarship on the political and social history of the United States in the 20th century. Before arriving at kentucky, he taught at morris hill and Union Colleges and since hes been at kentucky, hes been recognized not only for his scholarship but his skill as a classroom teacher. Hes the author of numerous articles and five major books including most recently his 2013 study of the gateway arch in st. Louis which he tellingly calls a biography. His 2005 work, deliver the vote, a had history of Election Fraud and american political tradition 1742 to 2004. Surely this is a book we need take up today, if not for the first time, then even a second time. At present he is hard at work on a history of the year 1942, subtitled americas year of peril. The meaning of ch will become clear toorb us with his presentation today. Soldiers, poll taxes and race in the 19 election. And a Pulitzer Prize winning a native of florence, alabama and a graduate of Washington University in st. Louis and the Journalism School at northwestern. He jien joined the faculty after working as a journalist and editor at the nations most distinguished newspapers. Among them the boston gleb, the Philadelphia Inquirer and atlantas journal of constitution. The 2007 book he co authored the press, the civil rights struggle and the awakening off a nation, won the Pulitzer Prize for history that year. The New York Times described the race speak as a richly textured and balanced narrative that reveals the strengths and weaknesses of the news media. The subtle negotiations, mix hadded opportunities and sometimes heroic efforts that iffluenced the on the ground coverage of the movement and its opponents. No doubt this book needs to be read or reread today. In recent years professor has directed the georgia civil rights cold cases project which enlists emory undergraduates and investigating the history of the jim crow era by investigating unpunished racially motivated crimes murders that occurred in that state. His talk reflects the work of the journalistic career and case in the cold case project. The whites only primaries, the last gast how it played out in the unyielding soil of georgia. So please welcome me in joining on the history of voting in the United States. Mr. Campbell. [ applause ] thank you, woody, for that very kind introduction. And thank you to the university of south florida for invitinging me to such a timely and really remarkable gathering. And to you, president ricardo for your kind hospitality. And for tanner pots for making the trains run on time. We really appreciate it. Im going to talk about a snap shot this morning but i think rarlts pretty revealing snap shot. The premise is pretty straight forward. If you want to understand some of the realities of Voting Rights, i think its useful to observe those rights when had the country is under its greatest stress and its very survival is on the line and just as individuals or families undergo stress or trauma, so can countries and those moments expose a person or countrys inherent strengths quite like nothing else. Things tend to rise to it surface under that kind of pressure. In the 20th century that stress was never greater than the year following the attack on pearl harbor and americas entry into world war ii. The way the country debated Voting Rights that year in war time and conducted a national election. I think if we look at the context of it, tells us a good deal of the fragile nature in which the 15th amendment was negated at a crucial moment. Now, theres a collective narrative really eabout 1942. I think we sometimes read history backward. We know were going to win the war so we kind of gloss over some things. But if were going to look at 1942, i think its helpful to try and understand on its own terms. But the collective narrative kind of goes like this. After a it alittle bit of early panic, the nation came together, built a massive production miracle, we cast partisan and sectional differences aside and once the allies turn back the japanese midway and landed in north africa, ultimate victory was in sight. Unity was the common theme. Led in tom brokaws words, the greatest society has ever produced end quote. I think if were going to understand 1442, we also have to see a different reality. And this is a series of paintings by thomas hart done in 1942 and reaction to pearl harbor. He called about eight of these paintings americas year of peril, 1942. And this one is similar to so many of the other themes of what was possible. This is a time in which the federal government is selling insurance policies against attack and people as far inland as iowa and indiana are buying these policies to make sure they would be protected against any kind of foreign attack. At a time in which some of government worried we might lose the war or that areas along both coasts or well inland could be subject to many more attacks, a time in which one former president called on the nation to give Franklin Roosevelt dict oriole powers. And would not be used as some excuse to expand Voting Rights and thats what i would like to talk about this morning. Want to focus on two moments really that happened in the falloff 1942 that i think are particularly instructive. One occurred in september. As congress considered an issue that seemed on its face without any without any alter r tearier motives. Congress debated a bill that would allow soldiers serving away from home to vote by absentee ballot. By this time over 4 million americans were serving in the military and almost all would not be home in their precinct to vote on election day. So at time when democracy itself was at stake, what better way than so its enduring character than by allowing those to vote. They were anxious to support the measure which had the support of veterans groups and of course families of soldiers. Yet, when representative of the Third District of tennessee inserted an amendment that waved the poll tax requirement for soldiers who were from eight southern states, the matter exposed one of the underlying fault lines of american politics. If the poll tax could be waved in this one specific circumstance, some worry it could be used as a wedge and out law it in other elections and that was a threat to many white southerners who felt elections were purely local affairs and inasmuchtrusions were unconstitutional assaults. Representative sam hobs described the soldier voting bill quote as an attack on our southern way of life and White Supremacy. They actually said these things. If theres one thing about the 40s is they just said it. Theres no code. Theres no trying to say what they actually meant. And youll see what i mean in a few minutes. He said it was an attempt to cater to the soldier vote that expense of the foundation of our democracy. End quote. Now since reconstruction, poll taxes were some of the most effective ways along with violence and literacy of keeping African Americans from vetting. Heres a particular poll tax receipt from texas. I believe its a 1. 75. Most were between 1 and 2 and they were cumulative. So if you miss election, you have to makeup for it it. So you can never get by without paying them and in 1942 they were still in effect in virginia, South Carolina, georgia, arkansas, texas, mississippi, and tennessee. The poll tax kept about 11 Million People from voting and by 1940 its estimated about 3 of African Americans in the south were registered to vote. Poll taxes also kept poor whites from voting. While 66 of adults in nonpoll tax states voted, about 24 voted in those eight states. And they skewed the whole idea of Representative Democracy. Historian glendau gilmore notes in 19 fourk40, georgia edward c had been elected by 587 votes while a Washington State representative won his with 147,000. Now through their iron grip on Voting Rights, southern dip lupats were voted on time and time again. Heres a cartoon about the poll tax and if you can make out some of the figures they might look familiar because this was dr. Seuss who was a cartoonist who worked a lot with a periodical called p. M. Through their iron grip, southern democrats were elecced time and time again and their subsequent seniority meant crucial chairmanmanships. Southerners chair seven of the most powerful committees, including commerce, finance, Foreign Relations and rules. Now, no one in the house was more opposed to this amended soldier voting act than mississippis john rankten. In waveing it poll tax for soldiers, the 11term representative saw dangerous elements approaching. He said this was quote part of a longrange communistic way of and take out of the hands of white americans, the ability to conrotrol the election and givet to elements constantly trying to destroy enterprise and stir up trouble, end of quote. Rankins arguments failed to win over a majority of house colleagues. But in outrage he called the final bill quote nothing more than a scheme to abolish state governments and added the next step will be to abolish congress. End quote. Now, remind you they actually said this. The Senate Passed the bill. Also senators tom connolly of texas and lister hill of alabama sat in on the process of approving the measure. Opponents of the bill understood the political implications of denying soldiers the righting to vote. And were reluctant to wager a fullscale filibuster. Signed into law september 15th, which allowed them to distribute postal cards to members of the armed forces who could then request a ballot from their state. This meant it was too threat to be fully operational for election day coming up in 48 days. But the poll tax debate is not quite over. Ill get to it in just a moment. So if we go to the election itself, the Roosevelt Administration in the falloff 1942 has reason to worry. In a previous Congressional Election in world war i, republicans took control of both houses. Throughout 1942 voters were frustrated with a lot of things. The slow pace of the war, gas and food rationing, higher taxes and congressional inaction on inflation. Congress had had moved swiftly to give themselves pensions, which produced another widespread outcry and a quick reversal just weeks later. So while fdr himself may not have been on the ballot, it was becoming a referendum of sorts to his handling of the war. Some worried fdr might use his war time powers to cancel the election altogether. So if all that was at stake, life magazine predicted it might be among the most fateful end of quote. In a gallop poll taken on the eve of the 1942 election Shows Americans favored democrats 52 48. But on Election Night republicans shocked many observers by picking up 43 house seats, nine senate seats. Making it the greatest gain by the Opposition Party in midterm erections since 1818. And particularly in the house where a 267155 spread was changed to a bare 222209 margin. With a switch of just seven democrats thin house, republicans could defeat any administration measure. Consequently it power of the reactionary southern block increased and house members like john rankin were elected to their house seats without any opposition. Among the it newly elected senators is mississippis james eastland, a wealthy plantation owner who become oneoponents fo rights. He won general election without facing any opposition. Now, the results of the 1942 elections were often interpreted in sweeping terms. The chicago tribune, which of course hated roosevelt said quote it people of this land have turned back the most terrible threat which has confronted them in their national history. Time magazine, quote no one can say in the retrospect of history, exactly when one Political Movement dies and another is born. But anyone could see Franklin Roosevelts new deal was sick, end of quote. The gops success in 23 states with a combined Electoral College vote spelled potential disaster for fdr or anyone else who may be thinking of running in 1944. When i think interpreting it election in such sweeping terms, the election witnessed the lowest turnout, 33. 9 for a congressional race in the 20th century. Lower than even the 2014 Congressional Election. Although it soldier voting act had been passed in september allowing soldiers to vote, only 28,000 could vote. Less than 1 of those serving overseas. So interpreting what the American People thought or felt about 1942 is hard to get at from the election results. But regardless of the turnout, the election had immediate consequences. Two remaining agencies from the new deal, the wpa and ccc were quickly abolished. Efforts to expand Social Security and medical insurance, yet the political wins were not necessarily reflected in the election i think hides underlying impulses. For example in a poll taken by Fortune Magazine in november, the outlines of what some people hope for after the war provides a glimpse that i dont think a lot of americans understand. 74 of apaircmericans thought t government should provide medical care for those who need ed it 31. 9 , almost one out of three believe after the war there should be a law limesing the amount of money an individual could earn and that was similar. Roosevelt was proposing a limit on incomes in 1942 can was also very popular. When asked quote do you think some form of socialism would be a good or bad think, 25 said it would be good, 34 werent quite sure yet. So thats one vote. The second moment, when Voting Rights are exposed came after the election. And the senate convened a bill to consider a house bill that had had been sponsored by representative lee buyer. A democrat that had sponsored this bill months before hand. Although the bill falsed solid opposition from southern democrats who said the war quote waged war against the white people of the southern states, it passed the house but with had it came to the senate faced a filibuster and this time after it election without soldiers involved, southerners were ready to launch a filibuster and it was led by many people including theodore bill bow of mississippi and russell of georgia. Together with other southern senators they brought the senate to a stand still for seven days in november of 1942 as endless quarm calls were demanded as well as complete readings of the journal. He made it clear that quote if this poll tax passes, the next step will be to remove the education qualifications and once thats done, we will have no way of preventing negroes from voting, end quote. Richard russell defended reconstruction and it history of Race Relations in his state, saying quote any fair minded man who studies the history of the last 75 years would commend the south and the great work we have done end of quote. So obviously he wouldnt consider you to be a fair minded man in this respect. It empass was here is another cartoon by dr. Seuss about thedth Theodore Bilbo. It reached a dramatic moment when majority leader barkley on the left, called for a forum and ordered when some southerners left the hall, their arest and one of those missing and was deeply offended by barkleys maneuver said being called a filibuster holds no terror for me, adding he would work with every means to defeat this iniquitous measure. When he asserted that the southerners resembled the exodus from egypt, mckeller said quote our socalled leader is leading us straight into the Republican Party. Barkley responded by saying quote this bills passage would infranchise 200,000 white people. Thats how he tried to sell the issue. Poor tenant farmers who may not want to vote but will think a long time for the right with it may be needed to put shoes on their bare foot children. The majority leaders efforts caused mckeller to withdraw his name from a letter he had signed urging president roosevelt to nominate barkley to the Supreme Court. With a seat that had recently been opened by justin burns resignation. The southern filibusters knew their action might be seen as obstructionest by many but not their white constituents. When spoke out quote, you must not have very much to do except to be sticking your nose if h into the home affairs of states that have been proven as capable of running their Home Business as your home state. He urged him to quote seize spending energies that dont effect you. We can get along without your help or gratuitous reform end of quote. The sponsors of the poll tax bill hoped that delaying tactics of a small minority of senators just days after American Forces landed in north africa might produce such outrage to intimidate them, but if anyone doubted the strength of the southern block they need look no further than doxy who quote we inhad tend to keep control of our state and see that it always remains in the domination of ang l anglo saxen supremacy. The senate failed to invoke and the poll tax bill was killed. While barkley fumed against the tax he said was a hang over from feudalism, it fails because too many southerners opposed and too many wer