How an 1876 massacre of Black men in South Carolina turned racial terror into political power
The killings helped white Democrats seize state power and end Black voting rights, with perpetrators later winning offices including governor and U.S. senator.
- In July 1876, a dispute between a local Black militia and two white citizens over a Fourth of July parade in Hamburg, South Carolina, escalated into a massacre. Georgetown University professor Jacob Ware, a domestic terrorism expert, recounts the event as marking the start of a period defined by racial terror.
- White Democrats sought to undo Civil War outcomes during Reconstruction by intimidating Black voters and galvanizing support for white supremacy. This campaign of violence, which saw over 2,000 Black citizens murdered, aimed to destroy the promise of Black emancipation.
- After the attack, Red Shirts ringleaders faced no convictions; instead, they rose to high state offices. Benjamin Tillman, who later became South Carolina governor, proudly recalled before the U.S. Senate, "We are not sorry for it," regarding the massacre.
- Confederate veteran Wade Hampton III won the 1876 gubernatorial race, reinstating white supremacy as the fulcrum of state governance. South Carolina later adopted a new constitution, spearheaded by Tillman, which effectively ended the Black vote in the state.
- The repression born at Hamburg defined the next 100 years of U.S. history, echoed by later tragedies like the Charleston church shooting and the Buffalo market attack. Corey Rogers, an organizer of the 150th anniversary commemoration, calls the massacre a seminal event for African Americans.
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38 Articles
How an 1876 massacre of Black men in South Carolina turned racial terror into political power - The Mexico Ledger
How an 1876 massacre of Black men in South Carolina turned racial terror into political powerAs the U.S. celebrates its 250th anniversary, its citizens commemorate a democracy more diverse, free and inclusive than it’s ever been. The path to this milestone was imperfect and paved in blood and suffering. Still, few of the revelers will likely pay heed to the anniversary of another historic event: the 150th anniversary of the July 1876 Hamburg mas…
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How an 1876 massacre of Black men in South Carolina turned racial terror into political power
The Conversation reports that the 1876 Hamburg massacre in South Carolina used white supremacist terror to destroy Reconstruction, suppress Black voters, and reshape American politics.
How an 1876 massacre of Black men in South Carolina turned racial terror into political power - Hillsboro Sentry Enterprise
How an 1876 massacre of Black men in South Carolina turned racial terror into political powerAs the U.S. celebrates its 250th anniversary, its citizens commemorate a democracy more diverse, free and inclusive than it’s ever been. The path to this milestone was imperfect and paved in blood and suffering. Still, few of the revelers will likely pay heed to the anniversary of another historic event: the 150th anniversary of the July 1876 Hamburg mas…
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