Coleman Livingston Blease

Coleman Livingston Blease served as a Senator from South Carolina in the United States Congress from 1925 to 1931. A member of the Democratic Party, Coleman Livingston Blease contributed to the legislative process during 1 term in office.

Coleman Livingston Blease’s service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history. As a member of the Senate, Coleman Livingston Blease participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of constituents.

Coleman Livingston Blease (October 8, 1868 – January 19, 1942) was an American politician of the Democratic Party who served as the 89th governor of South Carolina from 1911 to 1915 and represented the state in the United States Senate from 1925 to 1931. Blease was the political heir of Benjamin Tillman. He led a political revolution in South Carolina by building a political base of white textile mill workers from the state’s upcountry region. He was a staunch white supremacist and frequently used inflammatory rhetoric to appeal to racial animosities among white voters. As governor and later senator, Blease opposed civil rights for African Americans, spoke in favor of lynching, and resisted educational opportunities for Black citizens. In the Senate, he introduced legislation targeting interracial relationships and criticized efforts at racial inclusion in public life. He was also instrumental in the passage of Section 1325 of the U.S. immigration code, which criminalized unlawful entry into the United States—a provision that remains in effect.