Peter H. Booth served in the Arkansas House of Representatives in 1893 from January 9 to April 8.[1] He and other legislators from the 1893 session were pictured in a composite of their photographs.[2]
Peter H. Booth | |
|---|---|
 Peter H. Booth in 1893 | |
| Member of the Arkansas House of Representatives | |
| In office January 9, 1893 – April 8, 1893 | |
| Constituency | Jefferson County, Arkansas |
| Personal details | |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican |
| Other political affiliations | Democratic-dominated government |
| Occupation | Politician, Bootblack |
| Known for | One of the few African-American members of the Arkansas House of Representatives in 1893 |
He served in the Arkansas House of Representatives in 1893 representing Jefferson County, Arkansas. He was one of at least four African Americans in the Arkansas House of Representatives in 1893 along with George W. Bell in the Arkansas State Senate.[3] State government was dominated by Democrats at the time. In 1917, a Daily Arkansas Gazette article mocked him and his service, relishing that he was then working as shoe shine attendant at the state house.[4] According to the article, he introduced legislation related to providing more time for Australian ballot voting.
He was described years after his service as having introduced a single bill that was tabled by white legislators.[1]
By 1917 he was working as a bootblack for the House of Representatives rather than serving it as a member, and at the time there no be no other black member of the house after the 1893 session.[5] One paper claimed "Water had sought its level" regarding Booth's change in status at the House.[5]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Once a lawmaker, Now he shines shoes of lawmakers". Daily Arkansas Gazette. 19 February 1917. p. 8. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
- ^ "1893 House of Representatives composite photo of the Twenty-Ninth General Assembly of the State of Arkansas". Arkansas General Assembly Composite Images, 1866-2011. December 31, 1893.
- ^ Justesen, Benjamin R. (16 December 2020). Forgotten Legacy: William McKinley, George Henry White, and the Struggle for Black Equality. LSU Press. ISBN 9780807174623 – via Google Books.
- ^ "19 Feb 1917, Page 8 - Daily Arkansas Gazette at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Constitutional Convention in November (Part 1)". The Osceola Times. 23 February 1917. p. 1. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
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