Digges Amendment

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The Digges Amendment was an amendment to the Maryland Constitution proposed in 1910 by the Democratic Party. The amendment would have used property requirements to effectively disenfranchise many African Americans (and possibly some immigrants) in the state.

The amendment was passed by the Maryland General Assembly (and approved by Governor Austin Lane Crothers), but it still required the approval of the people. Even before the people even had a chance to vote on the amendment, a bill was proposed which would have effectively passed the requirements of the Digges Amendment into law anyway. Not only did that measure fail (after a public outcry) but the amendment itself was rejected by the people of Maryland. Similar proposals would arise in Maryland over the next several years.