African Americans in Florida assumed the great responsibility of taking control of their lives and their posterity during the Reconstruction Era. They believed that access to inexpensive farm land, the right to bargain with their employers, access to an equal public education, and participation in the political process were the ingredients to true emancipation. 1 However, for every attempt to equality there would be some obstacle preventing blacks from assimilating equally. Perhaps the biggest struggle was of that in politics, as it acts as the primary barrier to success in other life components.
The right to vote was a key component in order to allow African American voices to be heard and ultimately obtain freedom. However, poll taxes, land requirements, and the threat of physical violence would be a barrier in this ultimate achievement. In addition, Ortiz provided evidence that showed Democrats and Republicans crossing political lines in order to “dilute the effectiveness of the ballot in Florida”.2 While efforts were made to push through these challenges to vote regardless of what stood in their way, voter fraud then became a common occurrence. Often those who would testify against this would lose their own lives.3 However, this did not stop African Americans from pushing for more.
In an attempt to gain more control in the political arena, blacks and whites mixed together in