George Taylor's Run: Iowa Time Machine November 8, 1904

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 8, 1904, voters headed to the polls to cast their votes with a new choice: George Taylor of Oskaloosa, Iowa, stood as the first African American man to run for President of the United States. Although Taylor didn’t win, his run represents an essential first in America’s history.

Born free in Little Rock, Arkansas, in the decade before the American Civil War, spent most of his childhood in Illinois and Wisconsin. Working as a journalist in La Crosse during the 1880s, Taylor moved to Oskaloosa, Iowa, in 1891 to open a weekly newspaper, with the hope of appealing to the nearby African-American population in Buxton and other area coal mining towns.

The following year, Taylor founded the National Colored Men’s Protection League, and his work began to garner national attention. Gaining a national reputation as someone committed to advancing Black rights, Taylor proved ready to run as a third-party candidate for President of the United States in 1904.

Running with promises from other like-minded individuals that over 300 stump speakers would help 6,000 candidates for local offices around the country, Taylor found disappointment when the promised support failed to materialize. In an election where the incumbent Teddy Roosevelt carried the day, Taylor finished sixth and captured roughly 1,000 total votes. However, Taylor’s run represents a significant step toward a more equitable America. #Iowa #OTD #President #Vote #History