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A. A. Harris, a white resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, gave this brief testimony on March 29, 1880, before the Senate select committee investigating the causes of the Exodus. Harris described his contact with the black Exodusters in his area, including their difficulty finding employment. The committee also asked Harris to speak in some detail about the general treatment of African-Americans in Kansas, including any discrimination against them, particularly in the world of politics. This committee was composed of three Democratic senators and two Republican senators: Daniel W. Voorhees (Dem., Indiana), Zebulon B. Vance (Dem., North Carolina), George H. Pendleton (Dem., Ohio), William Windom (Rep., Minnesota), and Henry W. Blair (Rep., New Hampshire). Senators Blair and Vance asked the questions presented in this testimony.
Creator: United States. Congress. Senate. Select Committee on Negro Exodus
Date: 1880
This testimony provides a glimpse of how Exodusters were being treated in Kansas. It could be paired with documents about Exoduster settlements in southeast and southcentral Kansas (since Harris is from Ft. Scott) or the testimony could be grouped with either (or both) of the final reports published by this committee.
KS:7th:3.5:Exodusters (2005)
Item Number: 210635
Call Number: 973.8 Un3 Senate Report 693, v. 2
KSHS Identifier: DaRT ID: 210635
Business and Industry - Occupations/Professions - Laborers, general
Business and Industry - Occupations/Professions - Lawyers
Collections - Library
Curriculum - 7th Grade Standards - Kansas History Standards - 1860s to 1870s (Benchmark 3) - Exodusters (Indicator 5) - Reasons behind emigration
Date - 1880s - 1880
Environment - Natural resources - Timber
Government and Politics - Elections
Government and Politics - Federal Government - Congress - Senate
Government and Politics - Political Parties - Democrat
Government and Politics - Political Parties - Republican
Home and Family - Daily life - Settlement
Objects and Artifacts - Communication Artifacts - Documentary Artifact - Report
People - African Americans - Discrimination
People - African Americans - Exodusters
Places - Cities and towns - Fort Scott
Places - Cities and towns - Parsons
Places - Cities and towns - Topeka
Places - Counties - Bourbon
Places - Counties - Labette
Places - Counties - Shawnee
Places - Other States - District of Columbia -- Washington
Places - Other States - Kentucky
Places - Other States - Missouri - St. Louis
Places - Other States - New Hampshire
Places - Other States - North Carolina
Places - Other States - Tennessee
Places - Other States - Texas
Thematic Time Period - Immigration and Settlement, 1854 - 1890
Type of Material - Printed materials - Government publications - Reports
http://www.kansasmemory.org/item/210635