James K. Vardaman

Infobox Senator
name= James Kimble Vardaman


jr/sr= United States Senator
state= Mississippi
party= Democratic
term= 1913-1919
preceded= Le Roy Percy
succeeded= Byron P. Harrison
order2=36^th
title2=Governor of Mississippi
term_start2=January 19, 1904
term_end2=January 21, 1908
lieutenant2=John Prentiss Carter
predecessor2=Andrew H. Longino
successor2=Edmond Noel
date of birth= birth date|1861|7|26|mf=y
place of birth= Jackson County, Texas
date of death= death date and age|1930|6|25|1861|7|26|mf=y
place of death= Birmingham, Alabama
religion= Methodist
spouse= Anna Burleson Robinson

James Kimble Vardaman (July 26, 1861 - June 25, 1930) was an American politician from the U.S. state of Mississippi.

Early life

Vardaman was born near Edna, Jackson County, Texas and moved in 1868 with his parents to Yalobusha County, Mississippi. He went on to study law and became editor of a newspaper, the "Greenwood Commonwealth" (still in publication as of 2008).

Political career

As a Democrat, Vardaman served in the state house of representatives from 1890 to 1896 and was speaker of that body in 1894. He was a major in the United States Army during the Spanish-American War.

After two failed attempts in 1895 and 1899, Vardaman won the governorship in 1903 and served one 4-year term (1904-1908), carrying farmers and people in the central part of the state who favored a populist agenda. He advocated a policy of racism against African-Americans, even to the point of supporting lynching in order to maintain his vision of white supremacy. [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |quote=if it is necessary every Negro in the state will be lynched; it will be done to maintain white supremacy |title=People & Events: James K. Vardaman |url=http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/flood/peopleevents/p_vardaman.html |publisher=PBS |work=American Experience |date= |accessdate=2008-09-21] He was known as the "Great White Chief". [cite book |last=Mullins |first=Philip |authorlink= |title=The Ancestors Of George & Hazel Mullins |url= |format= |series= |date= |year= |month= |publisher=University of Texas at Austin |location= |isbn= |oclc= |doi= |id= |pages= |chapter=The Revolt of the Rednecks |chapterurl=http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~pmullins/chapter14.htm |quote= |ref= ]

Vardaman was elected to the U.S. Senate and served one term lasting from 1913 until 1919, having been defeated in his reelection bid in 1918. The main factor in his defeat was his opposition to the Declaration of War which had enabled the United States to enter World War I.

Vardaman was known for his unscrupulous speeches and quotes. In reference to President Theodore Roosevelt Vardaman called Roosevelt a "little, mean, coon-flavored miscegenationist." [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |quote= |title=Theodore Roosevelt and Civil Rights |url=http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/life/Civil%20Rights.htm |publisher=Theodore Roosevelt Association |work= |date= |accessdate=2008-09-21]

After Booker T. Washington had dined with President Theodore Roosevelt, Vardaman said the White House was "so saturated with the odor of the nigger that the rats have taken refuge in the stable." [cite news |first=DeWayne |last=Wickham |authorlink= |quote= |title=Book fails to strip meaning of 'N' word |url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/columnists/wickham/2002-02-15-wickham.htm |work=USA Today |publisher= |date=February 14, 2002 ]

Vardaman, referring to the appearance of Booker T. Washington in politics, said: "I am just as much opposed to Booker T. Washington as a voter as I am to the coconut-headed, chocolate-colored typical little coon who blacks my shoes every morning." [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |quote= |title=The Authentic Voice |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,824107-2,00.html |work=Time (magazine) |publisher= |date=March 26, 1956 ]

References