Springfield 1908 Race Riot

https://www.nps.gov/spra/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield_race_riot_of_1908 The Springfield race riot of 1908 consisted of events of mass racial violence committed against African Americans by a mob of about 5,000 white Americans and European immigrants in Springfield, Illinois, between August 14 and 16, 1908. Two black men had been arrested as suspects in a rape, and attempted rape and murder. The alleged victims were two young white women and the father of one of them. When a mob seeking to lynch the men discovered the sheriff had transferred them out of the city, the whites furiously spread out to attack black neighborhoods, murdered black citizens on the streets, and destroyed black businesses and homes. The state militia was called out to quell the rioting. In August 1908, a large White mob attacked the Black community in Springfield, Illinois. Rioters destroyed homes and businesses and lynched two men. The event led to the founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Today, archeological evidence gives a rare glimpse into a community devastated by the race riots of the early 20th century. Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument is a new national park located in central Springfield, Illinois. No facilities or services are available. The park is currently surrounded by a construction project and visiting is not advised. Illinois State Militia Historic photo of militia members standing in the remains of a burned building. The Illinois State Militia stands in the burned home of a Black resident at the corner of 9th Street and Madison in Springfield. Destroyed Home at 9th and Madison Streets Historic photo of two people using a hose to extinguish a burning building. Two people attempt to extinguish a burning building in 1908. View of the Park Today A narrow grassy lot surrounded by fence. View of Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument Today Things to Do in Illinois Find things to do, trip ideas, and more in Illinois. A light orange two story home containing many windows with green shutters. Series: Things to Do in the Midwest There is something for everyone in the Midwest. See what makes the Great Plains great. Dip your toes in the continent's inland seas. Learn about Native American heritage and history. Paddle miles of scenic rivers and waterways. Explore the homes of former presidents. From the Civil War to Civil Rights, discover the stories that shape our journey as a nation. Steep bluff with pink sky above and yellow leaves below.

Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior National Monument Illinois Resurfacing a History of Extreme Racial Violence Faced by Black Communities COLLECTION OF THE SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE Above: People attempt to extinguish a burning building in the aftermath of the riots. In August 1908, a large White mob attacked the Black community in Springfield, Illinois. Rioters destroyed homes and businesses and lynched two men, terrorizing the Black community. The event led to the founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Today, archeological evidence gives a rare glimpse into a community devastated by the race riots of the early 20th century. Beginnings The Emancipation Proclamation, the end of the Civil War, and passage of the 13th Amendment made millions of enslaved Black Americans free. However, many White people continued to see Black economic and social progress as a threat. The Riot A mob erupted after learning that the two inmates were gone. Looting and burning began at 5th and Monroe. Crowds of rioters moved into the Levee commercial district and began attacking businesses that served the Black community. By the time the rioters arrived, most residents had left town or found shelter elsewhere. When rioters reached the east end of the Levee around 11 pm, they headed north on 9th Street to the Badlands. From there they fanned out and burned at least two dozen homes and businesses. The mob found William Smith, a Black man who suffered from paralysis. Rioters dragged Smith from his residence and beat him until a bystander intervened and carried him to safety. Archeological evidence of the house where the mob found Smith is contained within the park today. In August 1908, Joe James and George Richardson—both Black men—were being held in the Sangamon County Jail. James was accused of murdering a White man. Richardson was charged with sexual assault of a White woman. Little evidence backed these claims. A crowd of mostly young White men began to form outside the county jail around noon on Friday, August 14, 1908, demanding a lynching. Fearing that the mob would destroy the jail, the sheriff moved the two men to another town. At 2 am, rioters reached the home of Scott Burton, a Black barber. When rioters spotted Burton attempting to escape, they beat him, dragged his body into the street, and lynched him from a dead tree. Black residents were not passive victims. In the Levee, residents positioned themselves in second-story windows and opened fire on the mob, repelling several attempted advances until the militia arrived and dispersed it. COLLECTION OF THE SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE In 1908, Springfield contained racially and economically diverse areas. A large concentration of Black residents lived in the Levee, a commercial district with residential areas. The predominantly Black Badlands neighborhood was one block north. The Levee featured Black and Jewish-owned businesses, including restaurants, hotels, grocery stores, barbershops, and a theater. It also contained some White-owned businesses. The Illinois State Militia stands in a burned home at the corner of 9th Street and Madison in Springfield. On the second day of the riot, the violence briefly paused as more state militia arrived. Governor Charles Deneen designated the state arsenal as a temporary refuge for Black residents and positioned troops near the state capitol and in areas that were targeted the night before. By 7:30 pm, two mobs had formed in a Black neighborhood on the southeast side of town. Men from the crowd beat him with bricks, cut his throat with a razor, and attempted to lynch him. Militia troops found Donnegan shortly afterwards and carried him to St. John’s Hospital, where he died the next day. In total, rioters targeted almost three dozen businesses in the Levee. About half were Black-owned and most of the rest were Jewish-owned. Black homes and businesses outside the Levee were destroyed as well, including more than 40 houses and businesses in the Badlands. Damages suffered by Black businesses are estimated at $100,000 in 1908 dollars, the equivalent of over $3 million today. One mob gathered outside the home of William Donnegan, a Black retired shoemaker who had made shoes for Abraham Lincoln and served as an Underground Railroad operative. Donnegan was married to a White woman and was quite prosperous. Aftermath and the Park Today The riot was covered extensively by the local and national press. One of the most influential articles was by William English Walling, a Chicago journalist. Walling realized that a riot like the one in Springfield could break out anywhere in the country at any moment. The NAACP was founded on February 12, 1909. The riot in Springfield emphasized the country’s poor race relations a century after Lincoln’s birth. The NAACP bec