State Historical Society of Iowa

Alexander Clark’s Petition to Allow Migration of "Free Negroes" into Iowa, 1855

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A petition submitted by Alexander Clark, presented to the Iowa General Assembly in 1855, to overturn an exclusionary law that prohibited the immigration of free slaves into the state of Iowa.
Courtesy of State Historical Society of Iowa, 1855

Description

This document is a petition submitted by Alexander Clark, a prominent Iowa civil rights leader, to the Iowa General Assembly in 1855. The petition calls on the legislature to overturn an exclusionary law that prohibited the migration of free African Americans into the state of Iowa.

Transcript of Alexander Clark's Petition to Allow Immigration of "Free Negroes" into Iowa

Source-Dependent Questions

  • What was the main point of the petition presented by Alexander Clark?
  • This petition was submitted in 1855 to the Iowa General Assembly. This petition was submitted before the Civil War, why would that be significant?
  • How does this document show that Iowans led the way in the fight for equality and civil rights?