Edward Ralph May's suffrage speech at Indiana convention

Background. Edward Ralph May was an American lawyer and politician who served as a delegate to the Indiana Constitutional Convention of 1850. His election to the Indiana House of Representatives in 1850 automatically made him a convention delegate under the law adopted for calling the convention. He represented Steuben and DeKalb counties.

Convention Debate. On October 28, 1850, the convention considered petitions regarding African American rights. The debate involved motions by delegates Schuyler Colfax and George Berry. May proposed amending Berry's amendment to allow the committee to impose restrictions on African American voters. This procedural move enabled May to deliver a speech criticizing the delegates' hypocritical attitudes on racial questions.

Outcome. Despite the debate, the convention adopted an article prohibiting African Americans from voting. The new constitution, ratified in 1851, explicitly stated that no Negro or Mulatto shall have the right of suffrage. May was the only delegate to vote in favor of permitting African American suffrage.