Southern Manifesto

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The Declaration of Constitutional Principles, known as the Southern Manifesto, was written in early 1956 by Southern lawmakers in the 84th Congress to oppose racial integration in public places, especially public schools after the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education ruling. It argued that the Supreme Court had overstepped its powers and urged that the decision be reversed through lawful means, invoking the Tenth Amendment to limit federal power.

A total of 19 senators and 82 representatives from Southern states signed the document. Most signers came from Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Virginia, with many from Florida and North Carolina and a few from Tennessee and Texas. Ninety-seven signers were Democrats and four were Republicans. A few Southern lawmakers did not sign, including three Democratic senators from former Confederate states, and a small number of representatives from other states. Among Republicans, only four signed: Charles Jonas of North Carolina, William Cramer of Florida, Joel Broyhill and Richard Poff of Virginia. Strom Thurmond drafted the initial version and Richard Russell finalized it, with J. William Fulbright helping soften some language.