The 1821 New York State Constitutional Convention and the Constitutionalizing of Racial Discrimination in New York

• In Event: Politics and History

Abstract

The 1821 Constitutional Convention removed the property ownership for white males as a condition for voting while requiring black voters to possess a freehold worth $250.00. White males were eligible to vote if they paid taxes, served in the militia or as a fireman, labored on the public highways, and established a six-month residency in the county and a year (three for blacks) residency in the state. With this addition, the 1821 Constitution became the first in the state’s history to contain a provision making race part of the state’s constitutional fabric. This article examines that decision and the role Martin Van Buren played in the context of the state’s colonial background and constitutional tradition.

Author

• Peter J Galie, Canisius College