Lynching

• http://www.diversityinc.com/public/2588print.cfm• Accessed 11.20.07

http://www.diversityinc.com/public/2588print.cfm

A Portrait of the Lynching Era, 1880-1930

• From Stewart E. Tolnay and E.M. Beck, A Festival of Violence: An Analysis of Southern Lynchings, 1882-1930.

• Accessed from the webpage http://www.umass.edu/complit/aclanet/ACLAText/USLynch.html; Jana Evans Braziel, author

"In addition to the punishment of specific criminal offenders, lynching in the American South had three entwined functions:

first, to maintain social order over the black population through terrorism;

second, to suppress of eliminate black competitors for economic, political, or social rewards

third, to stabilize the white class structure and preserve the privileged status of the white aristocracy" (18-19).

http://www.umass.edu/complit/aclanet/ACLAText/USLynch.html

1882-1930 in 10 southern states

2805 [documented] victims of lynch mobs

• 300 white men and women, •2,500 of lynch victims were African-American.

• 94 percent died by white lynch mobs.

•The scale of this carnage means that, on the average, a black man, woman, or child was murdered nearly once a week, every week, between 1882 and 1930 by a hate-driven white mob



http://www.umass.edu/complit/aclanet/ACLAText/USLynch.html

Black Victims of White Lynch Mobs by State, 1882-1930

State/ No. of victims

Deep SouthMississippi/ 462

Georgia/ 423Louisiana/ 283Alabama/ 262South Carolina/ 143



Border SouthFlorida/ 212Tennessee/ 174Arkansas/ 162Kentucky/ 118North Carolina/ 75

Black Victims of Lynchings per 100,000 Blacks by State, 1882-1930

State/ No. of victims per 100,000Deep South

Mississippi/ 52.8Georgia/ 41.8Louisiana/ 43.7Alabama/ 32.4South Carolina/ 18.8

Border SouthFlorida/ 79.8

Tennessee/ 38.4Arkansas/ 42.6Kentucky/ 45.7

North Carolina/ 11.0



The Reasons Given for Black Lynchings • Acting suspiciously • Gambling • Quarreling • Adultery • Grave robbing • Race hatred; Race troubles • Aiding murderer • Improper with white woman • Rape • Arguing with white man • Incest • Rape-murders • Arson Inciting to riot • Resisting mob • Assassination • Inciting trouble • Robbery • Killing livestock • Testifying against white man • Criminal assault • Living with white woman • Throwing stones • Cutting levee • Looting • Train wrecking • Defending rapist

• Attempted murder • Indolence • Running a bordello • Banditry • Inflammatory language • Sedition • Being disreputable • Informing • Slander • Being obnoxious • Injuring livestock • Spreading disease • Boasting about riot • Insulting white man • Stealing • Burglary • Insulting white woman • Suing white man • Child abuse • Insurrection • Swindling • Conjuring • Kidnapping • Terrorism • Courting white woman



•Making threats •Trying to colonize blacks •Demanding respect •Miscegenation •Trying to vote •Disorderly conduct •Mistaken identity •Unpopularity •Eloping with white woman •Molestation •Unruly remarks •Entered white woman's room •Murder •Using obscene language •Enticement •Non-sexual assault •Vagrancy •Extortion •Peeping Tom •Violated quarantine •Fraud •Pillage •Voodooism •Plotting to kill •Voting for wrong party •Frightening white woman •Poisoning well

The corpse of Clyde Johnson. August 3, 1935 . Yreka, California.

• From James Allen and John Littlefield, http://www.withoutsanctuary.org/main.html• Accessed 11.20.07

Gelatin silver print. Real photo postcard. 3.1/2 x 5 3/8 in.

Etched in the negative, "Killer of Jack Daw Aug 3, 1935 vengence in Siskiyou County."

The corpses of George and Ed Silsbee. January 20, 1900. Fort Scott, Kansas.

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A large group of spectators holding kerosene lamps, downed fence in foreground.

Gelatin silver print. Cabinet card. 7 x 10 in.Etched in negative, "George and Ed SILSBEE HANGED by a MOB of CITIZENS IN FRONT OF JAIL. Jan. 20, 1900. Fort Scott Kan. Flash Light by Dabbs"


The bound corpses of two Italian immigrants, Castenego Ficarrotta and Angelo Albano, handcuffed together, hanging in a Florida swamp. One with note affixed to feet, the other with pipe in mouth. September 9, 1910.


The lynching of four unidentified African Americans. Circa 1900, location unknown.

Gelatin silver print. 10 x 8"

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Lynching