On this day, a white militia, headed by colonel alfred moore waddell, a local democratic leader, burned the office of wilmington s black newspaper, the daily record, and generally wreaked havoc in black neighborhoods. Its publication marked the centennial of the massacre and coup detat in wilmington. But across the stateand the southwhite supremacist democrats were working to reverse the advances made by. By the 1890s, wilmington was north carolinas largest city and a shining example of a mixed race community. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1, 2, or 3 months new customers receive 15% off your. Wilmingtons lie author traces the rise of white supremacy. Published on the centennial of the wilmington race riot, democracy betrayed draws together the best new scholarship on the events of 1898 and their aftermath. The event initiated an era of more severe racial segregation and effective disenfranchisement of african americans throughout the. Destruction of manly printing press, november 10, 1898. By force, a white mob seized the reins of government in the port city and, in so doing, destroyed the local blackowned newspaper office and terrorized the african american community. However, over time, with more facts publicized, the event has come to be seen as a coup detat, the violent overthrow of a duly elected government, by a group of white supremacists. Also available as a print book in the general collection f264.
In 2007 she received the american association for state and local historys award of merit and wow award for her work on the 1898 wilmington race riot report. The wilmington insurrection of 1898, also known as the wilmington massacre of 1898 or the wilmington coup of 1898, occurred in wilmington, north carolina, on thursday, november 10, 1898. Wilmingtons lie was a difficult and shaming book to read but also a brilliantly written and intensively researched history of the events that occurred in wilmington, north carolina, before, during and after the 1898 elections. Wilmington coup detat of 1898 subject and course guides. By 1898 wilmington, north carolina, was a shining example of a mixedrace communitya bustling port city with a thriving african american middle class and a government made up of republicans and populists, including black alderman, police officers, and magistrates. After the coup and the massacre, mckinley was approached again by. Wilmington s lie author traces the rise of white supremacy in a southern city. But in 1898, a group of white supremacists decided to do something to turn back the page. Although the violence that swept over wilmingtons black community was later covered up as a race riot, this was a blatant act of racism, a brutal stab for power. Mar 04, 2020 for nearly a century, what happened in wilmington was portrayed, even in history texts, as a race riot. The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability of the committee on production guidelines for book longevity of the council on library resources.
Unc stadium honoree was captain in wilmington massacre. A more modern retelling of the story is philip gerards cape fear rising. The report, by the wilmington race riot commission, has thrown a klieg light onto a coup and riot that were staged in wilmington, n. Contributors to this important book hope to draw public attention to the tragedy, to honor its victims, and to bring a clear and timely historical voice to the debate over its legacy. Jan 07, 2020 it was a fictionalized account of the 1898 race riot in wilmington, north carolina, and critics slammed the book. Here are 10 main points of the book that connected with the wilmington race riot. In 2009, commission researcher lerae umfleet released a book on the 1898 riot and its impact that may be more accessible for the general reader.
The wilmington coup detat of 1898, also known as the wilmington massacre of 1898 or the wilmington race riot of 1898, began in wilmington, north carolina on november 10, 1898 and continued for several days. Wilmington race riot encyclopedia of north carolina. The white press in wilmington originally described the event as a race riot caused by blacks. Library of congress cataloginginpublication data democracy betrayed. After the civil war, wilmington, north carolina prospered. Wilmingtons lie author traces the rise of white supremacy in a. The 1898 wilmington race riot, lerae umfleet wrote the machine gun squad led by william rand kenan sr.
The wilmington race riot of 1898 and its legacy 1998, was coedited with david s. Full online access to this resource is only available at the library of congress. Zucchino chronicles the events in a new book called wilmingtons lie. It was deliberate, premeditated murder of blacks by whites. Jan, 2020 journalist david zucchino says wilmington, n. The wilmington race riots took place on november 10, 1898. It won the outstanding book award from the gustavus myers center for the study of bigotry and. Another great source of information that came out around the 100th anniversary of the event is democracy betrayed. Democracy betrayed university of north carolina press. This study draws together scholarship on the wilmington race riot of 1898 and its aftermath. It is considered a turning point in postreconstruction north carolina politics. Pulitzer prizewinning journalist zucchino delivers a searing chronicle of the november 1898 white supremacist uprising in wilmington, n. Nov 09, 2009 1898 riot book to be debuted at cape fear museum.
What is unusual about wilmington versus other socalled race riots is that it wasnt spontaneous. Jan, 2020 wilmingtons lie author traces the rise of white supremacy in a southern city. By the 1890s, wilmington was north carolinas largest city and a shining example of a mixedrace community. Dec 05, 2018 the wilmington insurrection of 1898, also known as the wilmington massacre of 1898 or the wilmington race riot of 1898, occurred in wilmington, north carolina on november 10, 1898.
Aug 12, 2017 but state officials solidified their grip on power by promoting that very fiction. At the close of the nineteenth century, the democratic party in n. We did not have to wait long for the first great history book of the new decade. Wilmington insurrection of 1898 wikipedia audio article. Then, in 1898, white supremacists staged a murderous coup that changed everything. The truth behind the wilmington massacre of 1898 wunc. Wilmingtons lie was a difficult and shaming book to read but also a brilliantly written and intensively researched history of the events that occurred in wilmington, north carolina, before, during and after the. The 1898 wilmington race riot by umfleet, lerae sikes and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The wilmington race riot of 1898 and its legacy david s.
Hamilton was a resident of wilmington with firsthand knowledge of the people and region. One of the main events in the book crow was the red shirt mobs were attacking the african americans because they were voting for the republicans, and the red shirts were democrats. It was the states largest city, with a busy port and a mixed race community that featured a burgeoning black middle class. A politically motivated attack by whites against the citys leading african american citizens, the wilmington race riot of 1898 documents the lengths to which southern white democrats went to regain political domination of the south after. New book wilmingtons lie shines light on dark, little. Contributors hope to draw attention to the tragedy, to honour its victims, and to bring a clear historical voice to the debate over its legacy. The wilmington insurrection of 1898, also known as the wilmington massacre of 1898 or the wilmington race riot of 1898, occurred in wilmington, north carolina on november 10, 1898. For nearly a century, what happened in wilmington was portrayed, even in history texts, as a race riot.
The lost history of an american coup detat the atlantic. Parents need to know that although crow culminates in the wilmington race riot of 1898, it is really a comingofage story of an 11yearold boy trying to make sense of the world around him. Exactly 111 years after the fact, a new book about the 1898 wilmington race riot will be unveiled tuesday night at the cape fear museum. It was a fictionalized account of the 1898 race riot in wilmington, north carolina, and critics slammed the book. On this day, a white militia, headed by colonel alfred moore waddell, a local democratic leader, burned the office of wilmingtons black newspaper, the daily record, and generally wreaked havoc in black neighborhoods.
Summary of a statement of facts concerning the bloody riot in. A politically motivated attack by whites against the citys leading african american citizens, the wilmington race riot of 1898 documents the lengths to which southern white democrats went to regain political domination of the south after reconstruction the violence began on thursday, november 10th in the predominantly african american city of wilmington, north carolina, at that time the. Wilmingtons lie author traces the rise of white supremacy in a southern city. By force, a white mob seized the reins of government in the port city and, in so doing, destroyed the local blackowned newspaper office. Author of acclaimed new book on wilmington coup here jan. One longheld view of the november 1898 events in wilmington is that they were race riots. David zucchino s new book, wilmingtons lie, details the 1898 riot in wilmington that followed north carolinas democratic white supremacy campaign, a propaganda and voter.
The state, as well as private groups with ties to the violence, only began addressing the. Wilmington insurrection of 1898 project gutenberg self. They originally called the 1898 incident the wilmington race riot, with the implication that the event was. Members of a white vigilante mob pose for a photograph after burning wilmington, n. Silver fusion the wilmington riot of 1898 was not an act of spontaneous violence. Jan 07, 2020 although the violence that swept over wilmingtons black community was later covered up as a race riot, this was a blatant act of racism, a brutal stab for power. Often called the wilmington massacre, early history. Zucchino digs deep into archival records, interviews locals descendants about their relatives involvement in the events and discovers that theres simply no evidence that race riots fomented by black people against white people occurred. From pulitzer prizewinner david zucchino comes a searing account of the wilmington riot and coup of 1898, an extraordinary event unknown to most americans. Pulitzer prize winner david zucchino tackles wilmingtons big lie in his latest book. By far the most credible source is the official state sponsored wilmington race riot commission report released in may 2006, and it places the number of dead at up to 60, a horrible number which.
He shall be free to live, and to thrive, if he can, and to pay taxes and perform duties. January, 2020 journalist david zucchino says wilmington, n. It took place before and after the wilmington race riot. The outbreak stemmed from an editorial published on 18 aug. Jan 11, 2020 author of acclaimed new book on wilmington coup here jan.
The events of november 10, 1898, were the result of a longrange campaign strategy by democratic party. This book is a collection of essays edited by david cecelski and timothy tyson. Book wilmingtons lie details 1898 white supremacist coup. Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our. But state officials solidified their grip on power by promoting that very fiction. The wilmington race riot 1898 by lerae umfleet nc office of archives and history, 2010. It has been variously called a revolution, a race war, and more accurately a coup detat.