The American Dark AgesFocus on 1880s-early 1900

Introduction to the American Dark Ages

This time period was coined the American Dark Ages by historian Rayford W. Logan due to an increased violence—e.g., lynching—in the south based on race.

Whites used a three pronged attack aimed at stopping African Americans' participation in politics and the economy and maintain white supremacy: 1. Disenfranchisement—every southern state, between 1890

and 1905, passed laws designed specifically to prevent African Americans from voting.

2. Jim Crow Laws—In this same period, each southern state passed laws formally segregating public facilities. It was in the 1890s that the famous "white" and "colored" signs appeared.

3. Lynching—In this same period, a campaign of lynching began, targeting African American men especially

Disenfranchisement

In order to deter black men (and poor whites) from voting, southern states created laws within their state constitutions: Poll tax—payment upon voting (usually being asked to pay back taxes). Literacy tests—(40-60% of blacks were illiterate) needing the ability to

read or write (to sign name, write candidate down, place in appropriate box).

Arbitrary registration practices Grandfather Clauses were created in order to allow anyone whose

grandfather voted pre-Civil War to bypass any sort of tax or test upon voting.

Aside from laws, blacks faced violence and possible fraud when attempting to vote Intimidation or physical violence Having their vote for a non-white candidate thrown out

Jim Crow Laws

Up until Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) the idea of “separate but equal” was not law of the land in the south (although it existed in some areas). Formal legal segregation became known as Jim Crow Laws

The term Jim Crow comes from an American actor names Thomas D. Rice who lived in the early to mid-1800s and who would imitate black culture—speech, habits, songs—all in black face.

Once segregation was made into law, specified in signs in public places started popping up. Separate drinking fountains, bathrooms, restaurants, hotels,

train cars, and separate sections of beaches, parks and theaters.

Lynching

Lynching was a cruel combination of racism and sadism used to sustain the caste system in the South.

Most of the lynchings were by hanging or shooting. Other forms of lynching include: burning at the stake, maiming,

dismemberment, castration.

Mississippi, Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, and Alabama were the leading lynching states (had nearly half the total victims combined). However, there were lynchings in ever state except MA, RI, NH and VT.

Lynchings occurred most commonly in the smaller towns and isolated rural communities of the South where people were poor and mostly illiterate.

Mobs were made up of small land holders, tenant farmers and common laborers, whose economic status was very similar to that of the Negro.

Lynching

According to the Tuskegee Institute, between 1882 and 1951, 4,730 people were lynched in the United States: 3,437 Negro and 1,293 white. Tuskegee records also show that between 1882 and1951:

41 % felonious assault 19.2 % rape 6.1 % attempted rape 4.9 % robbery and theft 1.8 % for insult to white persons 22.7 % for miscellaneous offenses

Lynchers were rarely ever indicted by a grand jury or sentenced. Judge, prosecutor, jurors and witnesses were all white. If sentenced, the participants in the lynch mobs were usually

pardoned.

Lynching

William Brown recalls a Florida lynching in 1902.

Works Referenced http://www.umich.edu/~lawrace/disenfranchise1.htm http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1979/2/79.02.04

.x.html

http://withoutsanctuary.org/main.html http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/shipp/

Lynchcauses.html http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/shipp/

lynchingyear.html