These reform measures effectively killed democracy in the American South. Even though African Americans constituted a majority or near-majority of the population in many states, and even though black suffrage was now enshrined in the Constitution, legal or neutral-sounding measures were used to insure that the Southern electorate…would be almost all white. Black turnout in the South fell from 61 percent in 1880 to just 2 percent in 1912.
The reform measures implemented in the Southern states severely undermined the democratic rights of African Americans. Despite their significant population and constitutional rights to vote, various legal tactics disguised as neutral policies effectively suppressed black participation in the electoral process. As a result, the political landscape became overwhelmingly white, effectively marginalizing African American voices.
This systematic disenfranchisement led to a dramatic decline in black voter turnout, plummeting from 61 percent in 1880 to a mere 2 percent by 1912. These figures highlight the extent to which democracy was dismantled in the South, as reforms that were meant to ensure equal rights instead resulted in their complete erosion, showcasing a troubling historical pattern of excluding entire communities from the democratic process.
