In 1821, delegates from all parts of the state gathered to write a new constitution for New York State. Caught up in an enthusiasm for universal manhood suffrage, property requirements for voting were abolished. But only for white men. The convention all but erased black men from voting rolls, requiring $250 in net worth only for men of color. By 1826, only sixteen blacks in New York County remained voters. Click on the image to zoom.

Reports of the Proceedings and Debates of the Convention of 1821, Albany: Hosford, 1821. Collection New-York Historical Society. Close