Lynching in North Carolina: A History, 1865-1941

By Vann R. Newkirk

Book Overview

From the end of the Civil War through 1941, a total of 168 North Carolinians lost their lives to lynching. This form of mob violence was often justified as a means of controlling the black population, "protecting" white wives and daughters, and defending family "honor." Legal attempts to deter lynching--including an 1893 law that classified it as a felony and sought to hold a county liable for damages--generally failed because of a lack of local support and ineffectual enforcement by state officials.

After 1922, however, in a phenomenon unique to North Carolina, incidents of lynching inexplicably and rapidly declined, prompting the state to head a national movement to end it. This history includes appendices providing an account of all 168 known lynching occurrences.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786495588
• ISBN13: 9780786495580
• Release Date: March 2014
• Publisher: McFarland & Company
• Length: 206 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.1" x 8.9"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher