Wilmington Insurrection of 1898 Wilmington, North Carolina

wilmington in 1898

during reconstruction era, former free blacks , newly emancipated freedmen built community in city. blacks voted republican party, had gained freedom of slaves. there increasing violence around elections in period, armed white paramilitary insurgents, known red shirts (southern united states, worked suppress black , republican voting. conservative white democrats regained control of state legislature , sought impose white supremacy, blacks continued elected local offices.

the wilmington insurrection of 1898 (formerly called race riot) occurred result of racially charged political conflict had occurred in decades after civil war , efforts white democrats reestablish white supremacy , overturn black voting. in 1890s, coalition of republicans , populists had gained state , federal offices. democrats determined reassert control.

in 1898, cadre of white democrats, professionals , businessmen, planned overthrow city government if candidates not elected. 2 days after election, in white republican elected mayor , both white , black aldermen elected, more 1500 white men attacked , burned black newspaper in state , ran off new officers. overthrew legitimately elected municipal government. such coup d état in united states history.

on november 10, 1898, 1500 white men, led democrat alfred m. waddell, unsuccessful gubernatorial candidate in 1896, marched offices of daily record, had been angered publisher alex manly. mob broke out of control, shattering windows , setting fire building. violence later broke out across town in brooklyn, black neighborhood, attacked mobs of whites. waddell , men forced elected republican city officials resign @ gunpoint , replaced them men selected leading white democrats. waddell elected mayor newly seated board of aldermen day. prominent african americans , white republicans banished city in following days.

whites attacked , killed estimated 10-100 blacks. no whites died in violence. result of attacks, more 2100 blacks permanently left city, leaving hole among professional , middle class. demographic change large city became majority white, rather majority black before white democrats coup.

following these events, north carolina legislature passed new constitution raised barriers voter registration, imposing requirements poll taxes , literacy tests disfranchised black voters, following example of state of mississippi. blacks disfranchised , excluded political system until after congressional passage in mid-1960s of civil rights acts.