• 1903
• April
• law
• Supreme Court
• Washington, D. C.
• Theodore Roosevelt

Washington, D. C. - The United States Supreme Court decided States had the power to stop Black Americans from voting.

In the case, Giles v. Harris, Alabama law blocked Black Americans from voter registration. Alabama made a new constitution that required tests to be registered to vote.

The tests were given only by whites. The tests blocked all Black Americans. Jackson W. Giles was a Black American man who wanted to vote. He joined 5,000 other Black Americans who wanted the same. Giles sued in court.

The Federal District Court dismissed the case on procedure. The amount of damages was too small. The case was appealed. It reached the United States Supreme Court. The Court held the law was legal.

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