Isaiah Montgomery
Isaiah Thornton Montgomery | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of Mound Bayou | |
| In office 1888–1902 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 21, 1847 Davis Island, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | March 5, 1924 (aged 76) Mound Bayou, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Martha Robb |
| Relations | Ben Montgomery (father), William Montgomery (brother), Eugene P. Booze (son-in-law) |
| Children | 11, including Mary Cordelia Montgomery Booze and Estella Montgomery |
| Occupation | Community leader, politician, mayor, founder of city |
Isaiah Thornton Montgomery (May 21, 1847 – March 5, 1924) was an American community leader, politician, and the founder of Mound Bayou, Mississippi, an all-black community. He was a Republican delegate to the 1890 Mississippi Constitutional Convention, and served as the mayor of Mound Bayou.
He participated in the 1890 Mississippi constitutional convention as a delegate from Bolivar County and voted for the adoption of a state constitution that effectively disfranchised black voters for decades, using poll taxes and literacy tests to raise barriers to voter registration. Montgomery promoted an accommodationist position for African Americans. The I. T. Montgomery House in Mound Bayou is a National Landmark.
He has been described as "Mississippi's Booker T. Washington". He is also known as I. T. Montgomery, and Isaiah Montgomery.