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William Madison McDonald (June 22, 1866 – July 5, 1950), nicknamed "Gooseneck Bill", was an African-American politician, businessman, and banker of great influence in Texas during the late nineteenth century. Part of the Black and Tan faction, by 1892 he was elected to the Republican Party of Texas's state executive committee, as temporary chairman in 1896, and as permanent state chairman in 1898
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By Ken Raymond
Black Politics on the Web – Many former slaves left a political legacy that’s been ignored or completely forgotten by their descendants–even during Black History Month.
Blacks built the GOP in Southern States
This created an opportunity for former slaves to return a tremendous act of kindness to their benefactors and help themselves at the same time. And they did it with great enthusiasm.
According to Dr. Ronnie W. Faulkner, associate professor of history at Campbell University, one-third of the 147 founders of the North Carolina Republican Party were black. Among the black GOP founders were George Henry White, James Young, E.A. Johnson, John C. Dancy, Issac Smith, and James E. Shephard.
George White was elected to the Congress as a Republican from North Carolina’s 2nd District in 1896. Congressman White was one of the first 23 blacks elected to Congress after the Civil War — and they were all Republicans.
As documented in Helen Edmonds’ book, The Negro in Fusion Politics in North Carolina , 1894-1901, the black founders of the North Carolina GOP helped build local organizations and establish Republican voter majorities in 16 counties by 1896. They were Caswell, Greenville, Vance, Warren, Halifax, Northampton, Hertford, Bertie, Pasquotank, Chowan, Washington, Craven, Pender, New Hanover, Richmond, and Edgecombe counties. They also assisted in gaining 40 to 49 percent of voter strength within 47 counties. The Democrats, however, retained control of the remaining counties.
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