Norris Wright Cuney
Encyclopedia
Norris Wright Cuney, or simply Wright Cuney, (May 12, 1846 – March 3, 1898) was an American politician
, union leader, and African American
activist in Texas
in the United States
. He became active in Galveston
politics serving as an alderman
and a national Republican
delegate. Cuney was a member of the Union League
and helped to unionize black workers in Galveston substantially improving employment opportunities and educational opportunities for blacks in the city. He eventually rose to the chairmanship of the Texas Republican Party and became a national committeeman.
Cuney is regarded by many as the most important black leader in Texas in the 19th century and one of the most important in the United States
.
valley. He was the fourth of eight children of Colonel
Philip Cuney, a wealthy white
plantation
owner and senator
, and Adeline Stuart, one of his slaves. Wright Cuney is said to have been of African
, Native American
, and Swiss
descent. He considered Houston his home.
Cuney was technically born into slavery though he was never made to serve as such. His father sent him to study in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
at age 13 at the Wylie Street School for blacks
in 1859 where he received his basic education. The Civil War
prevented his plans to attend Oberlin College
.
After the outset of the war Cuney obtained employment on a steamship traveling between Cincinnati
and New Orleans. Spending a great deal of time in New Orleans he became friends with influential figures such as P. B. S. Pinchback
, who would go on to become Louisiana's first black governor. At the end of the war he moved back to Texas and settled in Galveston.
Cuney began self-study in law and literature. He met George T. Ruby, a representative of the Freedmen's Bureau
which was the federal agency responsible for providing aid to former slaves. Ruby was secretly a director of the Union League
, an organization dedicated to attracting freed Southern blacks to the Republican Party
(the party was a relatively small organization in Texas at the time as the Democratic Party
mostly dominated politics). Cuney became increasingly involved with the Union League
and Ruby's ideology.
in 1870. He befriended the Republican governor Edmund J. Davis
. He was appointed as a delegate to the national Republican convention in 1872 and served in this role for every convention afterward until 1892.
In 1871 Cuney's interest in educational opportunities for blacks led to his appointment as one of the school directors for Galveston County. Texas was still in the process of establishing a public education system and Cuney set out to ensure tax allocations guaranteed education for black students.
Cuney was appointed head of the Galveston chapter of the Union League in 1871. As Ruby left Texas politics Cuney gained much of his clout without some of the negative associations Ruby had with Reconstruction. In 1873 Cuney was appointed secretary of the Republican State Executive Committee. That same year he presided over the Texas convention of black leaders in Brenham
.
In 1872 he was appointed the inspector of customs for the Port of Galveston
and revenue inspector at Sabine Pass
. He became a popular figure in the community; as reform efforts in the city were pushed forward by the community's business leaders, Cuney was asked to participate.
Cuney entered the race of Galveston mayor
in 1875 but lost. He similarly lost bids for the for the state House of Representatives
and Senate
in 1876 and 1882. Finally in 1883 he was elected alderman
of the twelfth district on the Galveston City Council
.
In 1882 he was advanced to the special inspector for customs at the port and then in 1889 he was appointed the customs collector for the port. In 1883 he began a stevedore
business employing 500 black dock workers loading and unloading ships. He later organized the black dockworkers into a labor union known as the "Colored Screwmen's Benevolent Association". At the time white unions controlled the labor market on the docks. Cuney pushed black workers to cross white picket line
s and accept lower wages in order to increase black presence on the docks and weaken white bargaining power against them. He even went so far as to recruit additional black dock workers from New Orleans. Though inequities remained, the Trades Assembly was gradually forced to re-evaluate its racial policies and grant concessions.
In 1886 Cuney was elected as the Texas national committeeman in the Republican party and became the Texas party chairman, the most powerful position of any African American in the South during that century. Cuney's popularity enabled him to shape the party in Texas; his opponents, white and black, were initially unable to challenge his authority in most matters. His role and his importance became nationally recognized.
Cuney's elevation to the Texas Republican chairmanship helped fuel worries and anger among white Republicans in Texas and nationwide. Since Emancipation
many whites in the young Republican party had worried about alienating Southern whites if blacks were allowed to gain too much influence in the party. Although initially the power of the black vote was seen favorably by the party leaders, this sentiment gradually changed. At the 1888 Republican convention a group of conservative whites attempted to have a number of important black leaders expelled leading Cuney to coin the term Lily-White Movement
to describe the trend. Cuney nevertheless maintained control of the party.
In 1892 Democratic politician Grover Cleveland
was elected U.S. President ending federal support for Cuney's efforts. He was unseated as chairman of the party in 1896.
). Cuney went to great lengths to shelter his children from the racism which existed in Galveston society. Several of the children's cousins lived nearby and the families organized regular gatherings and events.
Cuney's daughter Maud Cuney, later Maud Cuney Hare
, would go on to be one of his most important biographers, in addition to becoming an accomplished musician
, writer
, and community organizer in Boston
.
Cuney was reportedly quite wealthy, with a net worth of approximately $150,000 in 1893 ($ in today's dollars) according to some reports.
The gains of this era were substantially reversed after Cuney's passing. Poll tax
es and white primaries
reduced the number of black voters in Texas to less than 5,000 in 1906. By the 1930s racial strife in the unions, in part encouraged by the employers as well as segregationalists, had broken much of the labor cooperation between blacks and whites. Still Cuney was a source of inspiration for other black leaders. Following his being removed from the Texas Republican chairmanship, William M. McDonald, a black Fort Worth
banker, formed an alliance with multimillionaire Edward H. R. Green
to recapture the party (after 1912, however, the "Lily White Movement" dominated the Texas Republicans permanently).
Cuney is the namesake for various places and organizations. Wright Cuney Park is located between Broadway and Harborside Drive near the wharfs in Galveston. It is the site of the city's Juneteenth
celebrations. The small town of Cuney, Texas
, originally settled by freed slaves, was named after the son of the H.L. Price who incorporated the town. Price's son had been named after Wright Cuney. The Houston, Texas
chapter of the Prince Hall Freemasonry
is called the Norris Wright Cuney Grand Chapter. Cuney Homes, a public housing complex owned and operated by the Housing Authority of the City of Houston (HACH) is located near the campuses of Texas Southern University and the University of Houston.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, union leader, and African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
activist in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He became active in Galveston
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
politics serving as an alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
and a national Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
delegate. Cuney was a member of the Union League
Union League
A Union League is one of a number of organizations established starting in 1862, during the American Civil War to promote loyalty to the Union and the policies of Abraham Lincoln. They were also known as Loyal Leagues. They comprised upper middle class men who supported efforts such as the United...
and helped to unionize black workers in Galveston substantially improving employment opportunities and educational opportunities for blacks in the city. He eventually rose to the chairmanship of the Texas Republican Party and became a national committeeman.
Cuney is regarded by many as the most important black leader in Texas in the 19th century and one of the most important in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Early life
Norris Wright Cuney was born on May 12, 1846 near Hempstead, Texas in the Brazos RiverBrazos River
The Brazos River, called the Rio de los Brazos de Dios by early Spanish explorers , is the longest river in Texas and the 11th longest river in the United States at from its source at the head of Blackwater Draw, Curry County, New Mexico to its mouth at the Gulf of Mexico with a drainage...
valley. He was the fourth of eight children of Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Philip Cuney, a wealthy white
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
owner and senator
Texas Senate
The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing 31 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 672,000 per constituency. There are no term limits, and each term is four years long. The Senate meets at the...
, and Adeline Stuart, one of his slaves. Wright Cuney is said to have been of African
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
, and Swiss
Swiss American
Swiss Americans are Americans of Swiss descent.There are several ethno-linguistic subgroups among Swiss Americans, including Swiss German-speaking, Swiss French-speaking, and Swiss Italian-speaking....
descent. He considered Houston his home.
Cuney was technically born into slavery though he was never made to serve as such. His father sent him to study in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
at age 13 at the Wylie Street School for blacks
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
in 1859 where he received his basic education. The Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
prevented his plans to attend Oberlin College
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
.
After the outset of the war Cuney obtained employment on a steamship traveling between Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
and New Orleans. Spending a great deal of time in New Orleans he became friends with influential figures such as P. B. S. Pinchback
P. B. S. Pinchback
Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchback was the first non-white and first person of African American descent to become governor of a U.S. state...
, who would go on to become Louisiana's first black governor. At the end of the war he moved back to Texas and settled in Galveston.
Cuney began self-study in law and literature. He met George T. Ruby, a representative of the Freedmen's Bureau
Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands
The Freedmen's Bureau, was a U.S. federal government agency that aided distressed freedmen in 1865–1869, during the Reconstruction era of the United States....
which was the federal agency responsible for providing aid to former slaves. Ruby was secretly a director of the Union League
Union League
A Union League is one of a number of organizations established starting in 1862, during the American Civil War to promote loyalty to the Union and the policies of Abraham Lincoln. They were also known as Loyal Leagues. They comprised upper middle class men who supported efforts such as the United...
, an organization dedicated to attracting freed Southern blacks to the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
(the party was a relatively small organization in Texas at the time as the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
mostly dominated politics). Cuney became increasingly involved with the Union League
Union League
A Union League is one of a number of organizations established starting in 1862, during the American Civil War to promote loyalty to the Union and the policies of Abraham Lincoln. They were also known as Loyal Leagues. They comprised upper middle class men who supported efforts such as the United...
and Ruby's ideology.
Career
Cuney was appointed first sergeant-at-arms of the Texas LegislatureTexas Legislature
The Legislature of the state of Texas is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Texas. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The Legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin...
in 1870. He befriended the Republican governor Edmund J. Davis
Edmund J. Davis
Edmund Jackson Davis was an American lawyer, soldier, and politician. He was a Southern Unionist and served as a Union general in the American Civil War, besides serving one term as the 14th Governor of Texas.-Early years:...
. He was appointed as a delegate to the national Republican convention in 1872 and served in this role for every convention afterward until 1892.
In 1871 Cuney's interest in educational opportunities for blacks led to his appointment as one of the school directors for Galveston County. Texas was still in the process of establishing a public education system and Cuney set out to ensure tax allocations guaranteed education for black students.
Cuney was appointed head of the Galveston chapter of the Union League in 1871. As Ruby left Texas politics Cuney gained much of his clout without some of the negative associations Ruby had with Reconstruction. In 1873 Cuney was appointed secretary of the Republican State Executive Committee. That same year he presided over the Texas convention of black leaders in Brenham
Brenham, Texas
Brenham is a city in east-central Texas in Washington County, Texas, United States, with a population of 16,147 according to the 2009 census. It is the county seat of Washington County...
.
In 1872 he was appointed the inspector of customs for the Port of Galveston
Port of Galveston
The Port of Galveston is the port of the city of Galveston, Texas. It was established by a proclamation issued by the Congress of Mexico on October 17, 1825, while the land known today as Texas was still part of Mexico...
and revenue inspector at Sabine Pass
Sabine Pass
Sabine Pass is the natural outlet of Sabine Lake into the Gulf of Mexico. It borders Jefferson County, Texas, and Cameron Parish, Louisiana.Two major battles occurred here during the American Civil War, known as the First and Second Battles of Sabine Pass....
. He became a popular figure in the community; as reform efforts in the city were pushed forward by the community's business leaders, Cuney was asked to participate.
Cuney entered the race of Galveston mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
in 1875 but lost. He similarly lost bids for the for the state House of Representatives
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
and Senate
Texas Senate
The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing 31 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 672,000 per constituency. There are no term limits, and each term is four years long. The Senate meets at the...
in 1876 and 1882. Finally in 1883 he was elected alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
of the twelfth district on the Galveston City Council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
.
In 1882 he was advanced to the special inspector for customs at the port and then in 1889 he was appointed the customs collector for the port. In 1883 he began a stevedore
Stevedore
Stevedore, dockworker, docker, dock labourer, wharfie and longshoreman can have various waterfront-related meanings concerning loading and unloading ships, according to place and country....
business employing 500 black dock workers loading and unloading ships. He later organized the black dockworkers into a labor union known as the "Colored Screwmen's Benevolent Association". At the time white unions controlled the labor market on the docks. Cuney pushed black workers to cross white picket line
Picket line
A picket line is a horizontal rope, along which horses are tied at intervals. The rope can be on the ground, at chest height , or overhead. The overhead form usually is called a high line....
s and accept lower wages in order to increase black presence on the docks and weaken white bargaining power against them. He even went so far as to recruit additional black dock workers from New Orleans. Though inequities remained, the Trades Assembly was gradually forced to re-evaluate its racial policies and grant concessions.
In 1886 Cuney was elected as the Texas national committeeman in the Republican party and became the Texas party chairman, the most powerful position of any African American in the South during that century. Cuney's popularity enabled him to shape the party in Texas; his opponents, white and black, were initially unable to challenge his authority in most matters. His role and his importance became nationally recognized.
Cuney's elevation to the Texas Republican chairmanship helped fuel worries and anger among white Republicans in Texas and nationwide. Since Emancipation
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation is an executive order issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the American Civil War using his war powers. It proclaimed the freedom of 3.1 million of the nation's 4 million slaves, and immediately freed 50,000 of them, with nearly...
many whites in the young Republican party had worried about alienating Southern whites if blacks were allowed to gain too much influence in the party. Although initially the power of the black vote was seen favorably by the party leaders, this sentiment gradually changed. At the 1888 Republican convention a group of conservative whites attempted to have a number of important black leaders expelled leading Cuney to coin the term Lily-White Movement
Lily-White Movement
The Lily-White Movement was an anti-civil-rights movement within the Republican Party in the United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century. The movement was a response to the political and socioeconomic gains made by African-Americans following the Civil War and the Thirteenth...
to describe the trend. Cuney nevertheless maintained control of the party.
In 1892 Democratic politician Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
was elected U.S. President ending federal support for Cuney's efforts. He was unseated as chairman of the party in 1896.
Personal life
On July 5, 1871 Cuney married Adelina Dowdie, a local school teacher. The couple had two children, Maud and Lloyd Garrison (Lloyd was named after prominent abolitionist William Lloyd GarrisonWilliam Lloyd Garrison
William Lloyd Garrison was a prominent American abolitionist, journalist, and social reformer. He is best known as the editor of the abolitionist newspaper The Liberator, and as one of the founders of the American Anti-Slavery Society, he promoted "immediate emancipation" of slaves in the United...
). Cuney went to great lengths to shelter his children from the racism which existed in Galveston society. Several of the children's cousins lived nearby and the families organized regular gatherings and events.
Cuney's daughter Maud Cuney, later Maud Cuney Hare
Maud Cuney Hare
Maud Cuney Hare was an American musician, author, and African American activist in New England in the United States. She was born in Galveston, the daughter of famed civil rights leader Norris Wright Cuney who led the Texas Republican Party.Among her many literary and musical contributions she is...
, would go on to be one of his most important biographers, in addition to becoming an accomplished musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, writer
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, and community organizer in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
.
Cuney was reportedly quite wealthy, with a net worth of approximately $150,000 in 1893 ($ in today's dollars) according to some reports.
Legacy
Some Texas historians refer to the period between 1884 and 1896 as the "Cuney era". The period is remembered for the significant political gains made by blacks in Texas during the height of Cuney's career. Efforts at recruiting black voters led to more than 100,000 blacks voting annually during the 1890s. The increased power of unionized black dock workers would eventually lead to combined black and white unions in Galveston during the 1890s and early 1900s.The gains of this era were substantially reversed after Cuney's passing. Poll tax
Poll tax
A poll tax is a tax of a portioned, fixed amount per individual in accordance with the census . When a corvée is commuted for cash payment, in effect it becomes a poll tax...
es and white primaries
White primaries
White primaries were primary elections in the Southern States of the United States of America in which any non-White voter was prohibited from participating. White primaries were found in many Southern States after 1890 about until 1944...
reduced the number of black voters in Texas to less than 5,000 in 1906. By the 1930s racial strife in the unions, in part encouraged by the employers as well as segregationalists, had broken much of the labor cooperation between blacks and whites. Still Cuney was a source of inspiration for other black leaders. Following his being removed from the Texas Republican chairmanship, William M. McDonald, a black Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
banker, formed an alliance with multimillionaire Edward H. R. Green
Edward Howland Robinson Green
Edward Howland Robinson "Ned" Green , also known as Colonel Green, was an American businessman, the only son of the notorious miser Hetty Green . He was also noted for his stamp and coin collections.-Biography:Edward Green was the first of two children of Hetty and Edward Henry Green...
to recapture the party (after 1912, however, the "Lily White Movement" dominated the Texas Republicans permanently).
Cuney is the namesake for various places and organizations. Wright Cuney Park is located between Broadway and Harborside Drive near the wharfs in Galveston. It is the site of the city's Juneteenth
Juneteenth
Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, is a holiday in the United States honoring African American heritage by commemorating the announcement of the abolition of slavery in the U.S. State of Texas in 1865...
celebrations. The small town of Cuney, Texas
Cuney, Texas
Cuney is a town in Cherokee County, Texas, United States. The population was 145 at the 2000 census. A July 1, 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 147....
, originally settled by freed slaves, was named after the son of the H.L. Price who incorporated the town. Price's son had been named after Wright Cuney. The Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
chapter of the Prince Hall Freemasonry
Prince Hall Freemasonry
Prince Hall Freemasonry derives from historical events which led to a tradition of separate predominantly African-American Freemasonry in North America...
is called the Norris Wright Cuney Grand Chapter. Cuney Homes, a public housing complex owned and operated by the Housing Authority of the City of Houston (HACH) is located near the campuses of Texas Southern University and the University of Houston.
See also
- African-American Civil Rights Movement (1865–1895)African-American Civil Rights Movement (1865–1895)The African-American Civil Rights Movement refers to the post-Civil War reform movements in the United States aimed at eliminating racial discrimination against African Americans, improving educational and employment opportunities, and establishing electoral power...
- Galveston, TexasGalveston, TexasGalveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
- Racism in the United StatesRacism in the United StatesRacism in the United States has been a major issue since the colonial era and the slave era. Legally sanctioned racism imposed a heavy burden on Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, and Latin Americans...
- Texas Republican Party
- Union LeagueUnion LeagueA Union League is one of a number of organizations established starting in 1862, during the American Civil War to promote loyalty to the Union and the policies of Abraham Lincoln. They were also known as Loyal Leagues. They comprised upper middle class men who supported efforts such as the United...