Original 1879 U.S. House of Representatives contested-election document: Papers in the Case of Haralson vs. Shelley, Fourth Congressional District of Alabama, 46th Congress, 1st Session, H. Misc. Doc. No. 25, ordered printed August 18, 1879.

This is an original Reconstruction-era Congressional publication tied to Jeremiah “Jere” Haralson, the formerly enslaved Alabama politician who served in the U.S. House of Representatives during the 44th Congress (1875–1877) and was among the earliest Black members of Congress from Alabama. After losing to Charles M. Shelley in the bitterly disputed Alabama Fourth District contest, Haralson challenged the result before the House, alleging fraud, intimidation, suppression of votes, and manipulation of election returns.

Unlike a routine state pamphlet, this is a federal House contested-election paper, directly connected to the struggle over Black political representation in the post-Civil War South. It belongs in collections of Reconstruction, Black Americana, Alabama political history, civil rights, and 19th-century Congressional documents.

The title page reads: “Jere Haralson vs. Charles M. Shelley… Papers in the case of Haralson vs. Shelley. Fourth Congressional District of Alabama. August 18, 1879.—Ordered to be printed.”

The contents include the notice of contest, answer to notice of contest, notices to take testimony, and testimony/depositions relating to the disputed election.

Condition: original softcover/pamphlet format with age wear, as shown. Please review all photos carefully for completeness and condition, including edge wear, toning, binding/stitching, and any page handling wear.

A scarce and historically important Reconstruction document connected to Jeremiah Haralson and the fight over Black voting rights and representation in Alabama.