United Colored Democracy

United Colored Democracy (UCD) was a late nineteenth century political club allied with the Democratic party in New York City.Black New Yorkers had long supported the Republican party in the city,but the Republican hierarchy did not reciprocate,assuming that blacks would always vote Republican in gratitude for the party's role in ending slavery.In 1897, James C.Carr,a lawyer, and Edward Lee, a bellman,founded UCD to prove the Republican party wrong.James had expected an appointment as assistant district attorney for his work on behalf of the GOP in the 1896 elections.When the appointment was not forthcoming he,and Edward approached Tammany Hall and pledged UCD'S support of the city's Democratic party.Tammany responded by making UCD the party's official representative to New York's black citizens.While most of Tammany Hall was organized by voting precinct,UCD was responsible for the entire black population of the city.Asa result the leaders of the UCD obtained significant jobs through the party machine.James got his appointment as assistant district attorney,and Tammany appointed James successor at UCD,Ferdinand Q.Morton,to the city's Civil Service Commission.While UCD worked well for its leaders,its citywide organization kept rank-and-file members out of the precinct and district level jobs that were Tammany's most common form of patronage.UCD'S broad role in city politics also kept it from effectively serving the parts of the city where blacks resided.In the 1920s,black activists tried to increase the number of black doctors and nurses at Harlem Hospital,the source of health care for most of the city's black residents.The hospital stood in an area controlled by a white Tammany district leader, who would not support the proposed changes.UCD was powerless to sway Tammany's decision.Nor was the UCD more effective than Republican party at getting blacks elected to office Few blacks,Republican or Democratic,won any elections until the 1920s.Then both parties had some success, through the Democrats were limited by the fact that most blacks continued to vote Republican at the national and state levels, even they supported Democrats in the city.Ferdinand Q.Morton was responsible for much of  UCD'S success in the 1920s.Ferdinand was an ambitious man,an excellent organizer,and a good speaker.Under his leadership black Democrats won spots on the council of aldermen and the state assembly.But Ferdinand was mercurial and aythoritarian,a fact many Democrats resented.State-led corruption investigators weakened Tammany in the 1920s.He saw that power in the city was moving toward the Republicans.When Fiorello La Guardia was elected mayor in 1932,he promised Ferdinand reappointment to the Civil Service Commission if he switched parties.Ferdinand agreed,and with his defection,UCD ceased to be effective voice on behalf of New York City's black Democrats.That there were black Democrats at,all through, was a result of the efforts of United Colored Democracy.