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Pensacola streetcar system

784 bytes added, 18:45, 8 June 2009
Segregation
==Segregation==
[[Segregation]] of the streetcar system came in [[1905]] via a state law authored by Pensacola representative [[John Campbell Avery]]. Soon after the law was approved by the Florida Legislature, Pensacola's African-American community initiated a boycott of the streetcar system. The streetcar system's management reported on the boycott to the Stone & Webster corporate office:{{cquote|In Pensacola 90% of the negroes have stopped riding even though the company has not issued an order or intimated anything as to what they intend to do. The negroes have appointed Committees who meet negroes visiting their city at the train and present each one with a button to be work in the lapel of the coat. This button bears the single word WALK.|20px|20px|Letter of John E. Hartridge to William H. Tucker, May 28, 1905.<ref>Ortiz, Paul. ''Emancipation Betrayed''. University of California Press, 2005.</ref>}} However, it the Avery law was declared unconstitutional by the Florida Supreme Court a month later. The [[Pensacola City Council]] responded with an ordinance that was<blockquote>somewhat similar to the state law which was declared unconstitutional. It was drawn however, in such shape that it will hardly be declared unconstitutional if any attempt is made to carry it to the Supreme Court. The street railway company will divide the cars as it did during the time that the state law was being complied with, except that cards will be posted designaling the white and colored parts of a car. The colored population seems to be satisfied and it is not expected that the cars will be boycotted as was the case when the state law bc- [became] operative.<ref>"Jim Crow Law Effective To-Day." ''Pensacola Journal'', October 13, 1905.</ref></blockquote>
Despite being vetoed by [[Pensacola Mayor|Mayor]] [[Charles H. Bliss]], the ordinance was passed by the council and went into effect on [[October 13]], 1905.
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