Peter H. Booth



Peter H. Booth served in the Arkansas House of Representatives in 1893 from January 9 to April 8. He and other legislators from the 1893 session were pictured in a composite of their photographs.

He served in the Arkansas House of Representatives in 1893 representing Jefferson County, Arkansas. He was one of at least four African Americans in the Arkansas House of Representatives in 1893 along with George W. Bell in the Arkansas State Senate. State government was dominated by Democrats at the time. In 1917, a Daily Arkansas Gazette article mocked him and his service, relishing that he was then working as shoe shine attendant at the state house. According to the article, he introduced legislation related to providing more time for Australian ballot voting.

He was described years after his service as having introduced a single bill that was tabled by white legislators.

By 1917 he was working as a bootblack for the House of Representatives rather than serving it as a member, and at the time there no be no other black member of the house after the 1893 session. One paper claimed "Water had sought its level" regarding Booth's change in status at the House.