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Phenomenal Ruler Of Memphis Essay

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“A Phenomenal Ruler of Memphis” Edward Hull Crump was a colorful, yet assertive individual in early Memphis history. Without any formal education after the age of fourteen he rose to dominate political and social elements in Memphis for over thirty years. E.H. Crump started his rise to power as a reformer before his election as mayor in 1910. As mayor he set several goals for Memphis and all of them came to fruition before he passed away in 1954. His rise to power was aided by his votes from the African American population, as well as other ethnic groups who resided in Memphis. During this time there was a poll tax that kept the majority of African Americans from voting because they could not afford it. Crump utilized this tax and bought …show more content…

He had someone he wanted fill the position and he ran for County Trustee and won serving seven different times from 1916 to 1923. During 1916, Crump developed a method for registering white voters that he used to his advantage for many years. Every politician voted to office in the state from 1915 to 1954 was voted in due to Crump’s support and method. While running the city and its officials Crump also created an insurance corporation that made him lots of money. It was an unspoken rule to get approval and insurance from Crump if you wanted your business to thrive. Most citizens never went against Crump because of his vindictive temperament. He and his organization made things unbearable for individuals who opposed anything he did or said. Often times an opposing party would find customers harassed or employees questioned relentlessly until they closed their business or moved out of Memphis. Everyone in Memphis realized it was “Boss” Crump’s way or no way. The Ku Klux Klan even ran a slew of candidates against Crump and were defeated every single time. “Boss” Crump made it very evident that if a person wanted a future in political circles in Memphis then it was wise to not be a member of the

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