Lynching In The Twentieth-Century South

‘Fire in a canebrake’ is quite a scorcher by Laura Wexler and which focuses on the last mass lynching which occurred in the American Deep South, the one in the heartland of rural Georgia, precisely Walton County, Georgia on 25th July, 1946, less than a year after the Second World War. Wexler narrates the story of the four black sharecroppers who met their end ‘at the hand of person’s unknown’ when an undisclosed number of white men simply shot the blacks to death. The author concentrates on the way the evidence was collected in those eerie post war times and how the FBI was actually involved in the case, but how nothing came of their extensive investigations.

Recently, an L.A. Times article (dated 2/13/00) reviewed a new book entitled "Without Sanctuary", a collection of photographs from lynchings throughout America. During the course of the article, the author, Benjamin Schwarz, outlined some very interesting and disturbing facts related to this gruesome act of violence: Between 1882 and 1930, more than 3,000 people were lynched in the U.S., with approximately 80% of them taking place in the South. Though most people think only African Americans were victims of lynchings, during those years, about 25% were white. Data indicates that mobs in the West lynched 447 whites and 38 blacks; in the Midwest there were 181 white victims and 79 black; and in the South, people lynched 291

Another example of the hostility and hatred of the southern whites was lynching. Lynching is defined

During the nineteenth century, lynching was brought to America by British Isles and after the Civil War white Americans lynching African American increased. Causing and bringing fear into their world. In the Southern United States, lynching became a method used by the whites to terrorize the Blacks and to remain in control with white supremacy. The hatred and fear that was installed into the white people’s head had caused them to turn to the lynch law. The term lynching means to be put to death by hanging by a mob action without legal sanction. So many white people were supportive of lynching because it was a sign of power that the white people had. “Lynching of the black people was used frequently by white people, their is no specific detail of how many times they had done it, but lynching of black people has lasted from 1882 to 1968. Lynching also is in fact a inhuman combination of racism and sadism which was used to support the south’s caste system,’’(Gandhi).

However insignificant the number of lynching against whites, the significance, as Brundage suggests, lies, “…not in their tiny number, but rather in the way in which they both exposed and molded whites’ attitudes toward mob violence.” (101) While the number of whites compared to blacks lynched was severely uneven it shows that race did not deter a mob from lynching. At this point in time it would be seen that the cause of mob violence from race relations to generalizations about court laws and the white mobs feeling their lack of

Another way that white southerners were able to rolled back many of the rights held by African Americans is by lynching. Lynch is a mob of people killed, especially by hanging, for an alleged offense with or without a legal trial. The primary source, ““Lynch Law in America” the author Ida B. Wells organized a national fight against lynching in the early twentieth century. Born a slave, Wells became a teacher and civil rights leader in Memphis, Tennessee. When a white mob lynched three of her friends, she helped organize a black boycott of white-owned businesses and wrote harsh editorials in her own newspaper. According to Wells, lynching “ It represents the cool, calculating deliberation of intelligent people who openly avow that there is

Lynching was a terrible epidemic during the 1920’s and 30’s. Lynching is (of a Mob) kill ( someone), especially by hanging, for an alleged offence with or without a fair legal trial. This was a problem for African Americans with the KKK being around. It was a problem for everyone really if anyone had a problem with you they could basically punish you. Instead of going to a trail and getting a fair punishment . It was an unfair system to punish a person without a fair trial.

Lynching and Lynch mobs have been around Since the early 1800s and became popular and more active after the end of the civil war and implication of slaves in the south. Mobs would gather and voice their opinions about an african american individual and would drag him/her to a tree, telephone pole, post, etc whatever was most convenient at the time and would use a noose to hang them in front of everyone. These mobs were soon name lynch mobs for there actions. Many in the town would join in or gather around to watch and no one intervened or were hung as well. The worst part is the government stood by or even help because in the south this was a people's opinion against african americans.

Lynching is a form of corporal punishment intended to intimidate a racial or ethnic group most commonly a minority. This became extremely common in the southern regions of the United States during the 18th century as a way to reinforce Jim Crow Laws. These laws consisted of five different pillars centered on the political, personal, economic, legal and social oppression of African Americans. Lynching most commonly occurred when African Americans were accused of not following the social norms set by Jim Crow laws such demanding equal rights or having inappropriate interracial relations. In more radical cases lynching was used as a way to persecute blacks for heinous crimes they were often wrongly accused of committing. Such was the case with

It illuminated a shooting victim who became a martyr for divisive race relations. It turned a victim of sexual assault into a symbol that called for justice. It made an example of two men by allowing them hang through the night of August 7th, 1930. Thanks to Hall’s premise regarding lynchings, scholars can better contextualize lynchings in America as neither random occurrences nor as completely premeditated events, but specific, targeted events coordinated by white communities to convey appropriate notions of gender and race. Many of the bystanders and rioters who were present that night resumed their lives as they did before. They were able to do so because the Marion lynching was not an outlier. It was not a flagrant response to an egregious crime. It was exactly what people expected each other to do, and for many, that night confirmed what they believed about justice, sexual assault, and interracial crime. Once an unspoken rule, the lynching made these things clear for everyone who lived in Marion. The law enforcement can only promise justice. The mob is always available to make it

In North America they lynch Negroes. Although the physical aspect of it is no longer being used in today’s society the mental part is still alive and well. Pathfinders and church members does anyone know who Willie lynch was? Anyone? You can raise your hand if you know about him. Nobody? Ok let me tell you who he was Willie lynch was a very vicious slave owner in the West Indies. The slave-masters in the America were having a lot of trouble controlling their slaves, so they sent for Mr. Lynch to teach them his methods. The word "lynching" came from his last name. His methods were very simple and easy, but they were really evil. The method was to keep the slave physically strong but psychologically weak and dependent on the slave master. Keep the body, take the mind.

Lynching terrorized the lives of African Americans and claimed the lives of thousands of African Americans in the early 20th century (Dray). Philip Dray states that the term lynching is ambiguous; nevertheless, the most modern definition made by a bill before Congress “a mob or riotous assemblage composed of three or more persons acting in concert, without authority of law, to kill or injure any

The definition of lynch is, “(of a mob) kill (someone), especially by hanging, for an alleged offense with or without a legal trial.” On tuesday, June 15th, 1920 in Duluth Minnesota there was a lynching. The lynching was caused by white men aggravated by the rumors making their way around town of a white woman being raped and almost killed by several black men. The mob hung three innocent

Lynching is a mob action where a person is killed by a mob through beating, torture, shooting or hanging. Lynching was common in the US from 1880’s to 1960’s, with a peak in 1920’s. The most lynched people were African-American men though other people were lynched in other occasions. The main reason for lynching was the perceived breaking of social norms. Whites lynched black men to enforce white supremacy. At this time, there was a popular belief that black people were inferior. Whites would kill black people and take away their property since they believed that black people did not deserve a high social status in the society. Most of lynching incidents happened in the Southern States. Only a few happened

This document connects to my storyline by giving an example of a lynching, it gives graphic details and makes you feel like you're actually in the moment. It also provides two sides of the story which is essential for someone to make an opinion about lynching. It gives the story of what the black person did and it shows why the white person did what he did. It can teach us what the white community in Mississippi thought about lynching at the time. It was either one of two options: 1) Either they approved of the lynching or else 2) The community didn’t disapprove enough to risk giving their "enemies" the satisfaction of a conviction.