Act in Relation to the Organization of a Colored Regiment in the City of New York

About the Author

The legislation creating New York City’s African American infantry regiment was first introduced in both houses of the New York State Legislature. These two bills, differing slightly, were ultimately consolidated into a single bill, signed by Governor Sulzer. Thomas Kane introduced the bill in the New York State Assembly. Kane had immigrated to the United States from Ireland in 1887 when he was nineteen years old. He was a skilled amateur athlete who was president of the Clipper Athletic Club for seven years and worked in industrial marketing. He was one of the first to support building public playgrounds in New York City. With support from Tammany Hall, he defeated the Republican incumbent Dean Nelson by a 25 percent margin in the 1912 election. Henry Salant introduced similar legislation in the New York State Senate. He was a native New Yorker who ran as a National Progressive in the 1912 election. Salant had been a very successful real estate lawyer in New York City. He was removed from office in late April 1913 following an election protest and ballot recount. Afterward Salant continued his active law practice and appeared as counsel in a number of important cases. He remained active in New York Republican Party politics through the 1920s but held no further significant political office.