Isaiah Montgomery | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Mayor of Mound Bayou | |
| In office 1888–1902 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 21, 1847 Davis Island, Mississippi |
| Died | March 5, 1924 (aged 76) Mound Bayou, Mississippi |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Martha Robb |
| Relations | William Montgomery (brother) |
| Children | 2 |
Isaiah Thornton Montgomery (May 21, 1847 – March 5, 1924) was the founder of Mound Bayou, Mississippi, an all-black community. A Republican, he was a delegate to the 1890 Mississippi Constitutional Convention and served as mayor of Mound Bayou.
He participated in the 1890 Mississippi constitutional convention as a delegate from Bolivar County and voted for the adoption of a state constitution that effectively disfranchised black voters for decades, using poll taxes and literacy tests to raise barriers to voter registration.[1][2] Montgomery promoted an accommodationist position for African Americans. The I. T. Montgomery House in Mound Bayou is a National Landmark.
He has been described as "Mississippi's Booker T. Washington".[3]
- ^ Wormser, Richard (October 18, 2002). "Isiah Washington". Jim Crow Stories: The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow. Educational Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on October 18, 2002. Retrieved October 18, 2002.
- ^ Educational Broadcasting Corporation (December 28, 2002). "Williams v. Mississippi (1898)". Jim Crow Stories: The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow. Public Broadcasting Service. Archived from the original on April 5, 2003. Retrieved April 5, 2003.
- ^ McMillen, Neil R. (February 2007). "Isaiah T. Montgomery, 1847–1924 (Part II)". Mississippi Historical Society: Mississippi History Now. Retrieved March 16, 2024.