Jacob Moorer facts for kids

Jacob Moorer (born April 1863 – died February 27, 1935) was an important lawyer and civil rights activist from South Carolina. He often worked on cases that challenged parts of the 1895 South Carolina Constitution. He believed these laws unfairly stopped Black people from voting. His most well-known case was Franklin v. South Carolina. In this case, he and John Adams, Sr. took the fight for a Black sharecropper named Pink Franklin all the way to the United States Supreme Court.

Jacob Moorer's Life Story

Jacob Moorer was born in Orangeburg County, South Carolina, during the Civil War. His parents were Wilson and Hazel Moorer. He learned to read and write by the time he was eight years old. He also worked on his father's farm.

In 1892, Jacob graduated from Claflin University. He became a lawyer in 1896. Education was very important to him. Before becoming a lawyer, he was the principal of LaGrange Academy in Georgia. He strongly believed that everyone should have a chance to go to school.

In 1898, Jacob Moorer took part in a debate. He argued that education for Black people was indeed needed. At that time, there were very few Black lawyers in his area. In 1905, it was said he was the only Black lawyer in Orangeburg. He was known for always dressing formally. This was quite unusual in the hot South Carolina summers. In 1899, he married Lizelia Augusta Jenkins Moorer, a famous Black poet. They did not have any children.

Jacob Moorer's Political Work

Around the time he became a lawyer, Jacob Moorer also got involved in politics. In 1896, he ran for the state legislature. He was part of the Union Republican party.

He helped organize the Orangeburg Colored Fair in December 1896. In 1900, he worked as a Census Enumerator. This meant he helped count people for the national census.

Moorer stayed very active in the Orangeburg County Republican Party for his whole life. He was a delegate for Orangeburg County at the Republican Convention in 1900. He was also elected secretary of the convention in 1902 and again in 1908.

Jacob Moorer's Legal Career

Fighting for Voting Rights

In 1898, Jacob Moorer began a role he would often repeat. He became a champion for the voting and civil rights of African Americans. He argued on behalf of James H. Weston. Weston was challenging the election results for Congress in 1898.

Moorer argued that the election laws were unfair. He said they were against the constitution. His objections were often turned down, but he kept fighting. He challenged many elections. For example, in 1902, he challenged the election of Congressman Asbury Francis Lever. He did this on behalf of Alexander D. Dantzler.

He continued to challenge Lever's elections in 1904 and 1905. In 1905, he also represented Isaac Meyers. Meyers was challenging the election of James O'H. Patterson.

In 1906, Moorer traveled to Washington, D.C. He spoke to the House Committee on Elections. He was supporting Isaac Meyers' challenge against J. O. Patterson's election. A newspaper reported that some congressmen laughed at Moorer. However, The New York Times noted that if Moorer's claims were accepted, many Southern congressmen would lose their seats. He continued to challenge elections in 1906, 1908, and 1912. He always fought for fair elections.

The Pink Franklin Case

From 1907 to 1910, Jacob Moorer and John Adams, Sr. worked together. They defended Pink Franklin in a very important case. This case eventually went to the Supreme Court. Franklin was accused of a serious crime after a white constable came to his home to arrest him.

Moorer and Adams argued that the juries in Franklin's case were unfair. They said the juries did not include enough Black people. They also challenged the fairness of South Carolina's 1895 Constitution. They lost the case at every level of court. However, this was only the second time Black South Carolina lawyers had argued before the Supreme Court.

The case gained national attention. Many people worked to help Pink Franklin. Finally, in 1919, Franklin's sentence was changed. He was released on parole. This happened because of the continued efforts of Moorer and Adams. Other important people also helped, like Booker T. Washington and Oswald Garrison Villard.

Between 1906 and 1926, Jacob Moorer argued many cases. He appeared before the South Carolina Supreme Court seven times for criminal cases. He also appeared 14 times for civil cases. He won one criminal appeal and four civil appeals. He continued to practice law in Orangeburg until at least 1932. He passed away in 1935.