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Historic Marker and Former Home of Andrew Jackson Montague

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

This historical marker stands in front of the former home of Virginia politician Andrew Jackson Montague. Montague served as governor between 1902 and 1906. He was also the attorney general of Virginia between 1898 and his election as governor in 1902. His home was built in 1891, a period when Montague served as the attorney for the Richmond and Danville Railroad. It was during these years that Montague made connections and established himself as a leading citizen and capable attorney. It was this reputation, as well as the political connections he made in Richmond, that spurred his long career in state and national politics. Today, Montague is best known for his support of a campaign to purge African American voters from the polls. Although the 15th Amendment to the Constitution guaranteed that the right to vote could not be restricted according to race or previous condition of servitude, Montague and other leading Virginia politicians rewrote the state constitution to include a provision that restricted suffrage through a literacy test that was often unevenly applied to African Americans.


Images

  • This historical marker stands in front of Montague's former home in Danville.
  • Montague served as the dean of the law school at the University of Richmond in addition to a long tenure in the House of Representatives.
  • Montague was one of the authors of this broadside meant to assure white citizens that voting restrictions would only affect African Americans.

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

After completing his term as the 44th governor of Virginia, Montague ran for Senate but was defeated by the incumbent, Thomas Staples Martin. Following that election, Montague became the dean of the law school at Richmond College and practiced law in the city of Richmond. Montague won election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1912 and remained in that office until his death in 1937.

Sources

Heinemann, Ronald L.. Andrew Jackson Montague (1862–1937). Encyclopedia of Virginia. Accessed May 10, 2017. http://www.encyclopediaVirginia.org/Montague_Andrew_Jackson_1862-1937#.

Additional Information