Petition of African-American Citizens of Denver to Congress
1865
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This document comes from a series of correspondence, reports, copies of journals of proceedings of legislative assemblies, and other records related to the administration of the United States territory of Colorado.
Transcript
Denver, Dec. 11, 1865
To Governor Cummings
Denver, C.T.
Sir, the Undersigned, a committee of Colored people of the Colorado Territory respectfully commend to Your Excellency the enclosed remonstrance signed by Colored Citizens of this territory, against the acceptance by the General Government of the Constitution recently adopted on basis of a State government, with the request that you will take such step as will secure a hearing by Congress and the General Government, before they take action which will place us under an irrevocable law.
We have committed no offence; we are here, as we suppose under the protecting...of the Government which we have earnestly supported during the last four years of terrible war against the Union and the Government and we know of no reason why we should be denied a voice in the Government which we are expected to support, and still...are we able to conceive why the bloody lessons of the last four years should be disregarded.
We make this request because you are the representative of the Government in this Territory, and through you we may find...access to the Government Authorities.
We are the more confident of your sympathy because we know of your efforts during the war to make the unwavering loyalty of our race effective in armed hostility to the rebel forces; and we are still more...when we remember the clause in your Thanksgiving Proclamation which...upon the people to pray for the ability to enable them "to do equal and enact justice to all mean."
Denver, C.T.
Sir, the Undersigned, a committee of Colored people of the Colorado Territory respectfully commend to Your Excellency the enclosed remonstrance signed by Colored Citizens of this territory, against the acceptance by the General Government of the Constitution recently adopted on basis of a State government, with the request that you will take such step as will secure a hearing by Congress and the General Government, before they take action which will place us under an irrevocable law.
We have committed no offence; we are here, as we suppose under the protecting...of the Government which we have earnestly supported during the last four years of terrible war against the Union and the Government and we know of no reason why we should be denied a voice in the Government which we are expected to support, and still...are we able to conceive why the bloody lessons of the last four years should be disregarded.
We make this request because you are the representative of the Government in this Territory, and through you we may find...access to the Government Authorities.
We are the more confident of your sympathy because we know of your efforts during the war to make the unwavering loyalty of our race effective in armed hostility to the rebel forces; and we are still more...when we remember the clause in your Thanksgiving Proclamation which...upon the people to pray for the ability to enable them "to do equal and enact justice to all mean."
Petition to the Congress of the United States
To the Honorable, the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States, in Congress assembled:
The Petition of the subscribers, colored citizens of Denver and in the Territory of Colorado, respectfully showeth: —That the State Constitution, framed by a citizen's Convention, and adopted by an almost insignificant majority of the legal voters of Colorado, prepatory to admission as a State, Excluding all Colored Citizens of the Territory of Colorado, from the right of suffrage by the incorporation in that instrument of the words "all white male citizens," thereby making color or caste and not intelligence or patriotism, the test for the right of suffrage. In view of this gross injustice on the part of the framers of the State Constitution of Colorado, founded on prejudice against Color alone, we your humble petitioners, beseech your Honorable Body not to admit the Territory as a State until the word "white" be erased from her State Constitution.
It has been said, frequently and emphatically, that we are very insignificant in numbers here, but your Honorable body will be surprised to know that we form a much larger proportion to the population of the Territory than than the whole people here do to a very many of the old States with whom they desire to have Equal representation in the Senate. In fact, in many cases the proportion is more than double; and in much larger proportion than among the whites, our familes reside upon the soil. If your Honorable Body will take the pains to enquire, and will believe the Statements of the Men who took a part in framing the Constitution, you will learn that it has been accomplished by the utmost recklessness and disregard of law, and in many cases by actual fraud. We are taxed by men who made this Constitution, and are allowed no representation. They even tax us to support public schools to educate their children from the benefits of which schools our children are Excluded.
We ask for nothing but even handed justice, and we feel assured that you will not turn a deaf ear to our humble and earnest appeal, and as in duty bound your Petitioners will Ever pray.
This primary source comes from the General Records of the Department of State.
National Archives Identifier: 221205592
Full Citation: Petition of African-American Citizens of Denver and in the Territory of Colorado to Congress Opposing Statehood unless Negro suffrage be allowed; 1865; State Department Territorial Papers, Colorado, 1859-1874; Territorial Papers, 1789–1873; General Records of the Department of State, Record Group 59; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/petition-african-american-citizens-of-denver-to-congress, April 18, 2025]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
