Background Meridian race riot of 1871

1 background

1.1 ku klux klan
1.2 price s trial
1.3 courthouse meeting
1.4 downtown fire

background
ku klux klan

after american civil war ended in 1865, country underwent period of reconstruction. during period, under reconstruction acts united states army directly controlled states formerly part of confederacy. takeover resented white democrats in south, of whom temporarily disfranchised service confederacy. resentment increased passage of constitutional amendments making freedmen full citizens , voting rights act of 1867, enabled freedmen vote, serve on juries, , hold official positions in government.

the ku klux klan (kkk) arose independent chapters, part of postwar insurgency related struggle power in south. in 1866, mississippi governor william l. sharkey reported disorder, lack of control , lawlessness widespread. klan used public violence against blacks intimidation. burned houses, , attacked , killed blacks, leaving bodies on roads.

meridian, county seat of lauderdale county, had republican mayor appointed governor. sturgis connecticut opponents called him carpetbagger. southern republicans called scalawags. kkk tried intimidate black school teacher named daniel price, had migrated livingston, alabama, county seat of alabama county east of lauderdale. in livingston, price had been leader of local loyal league, organization established former slaves transition freedom. because of threats against him local whites opposed activism, price left city mississippi , brought several freedmen him. hoped find jobs in meridian, larger town. numerous other african americans had been migrating alabama mississippi since had been freed , alabama farmers running short on labor. try force freedmen return alabama , possibly stop migration of others, adam kennard, deputy sheriff of livingston (also described bounty hunter), sent arrest men went price meridian. took kkk men him.

the republican city officials refused cooperate kennard , group; thought outside legal jurisdiction. freedmen angered klan s presence, yet neither nor republican city government had enough power deter them. 1 night when kennard sleeping, price , band of 6 freedmen in disguise took him house, carried him outside city limits, , beat him. kennard managed away , pressed charges against price next day. price prosecuted under statute of civil rights act of 1866, intended stop kkk s widespread violence. classified committing act of violence in disguise federal crime (related kkk practice of wearing masks , costumes hide individual identities).

the root of riots, attributed ceaseless raids of kkk, in essence forcing freedmen leave sumter county farms, taking refuge in nearby meridian area (located 40 miles southwest of livingston). according michael newton, adam kennard not white sheriff, rather former slave, deputized , dispatched farmers, along kkk members retrieve departed farm hands. daniel price, white republican teacher of black school. referencing trial s cross examination, weekly clarion, reports kennard “colored man ku klux klaned radicals…” daily dispatch of richmond, wrote:

the riots of last year result of bad teachings bad men of both parties, wanted strife. @ present such feelings slight. character of outrages, witness instanced white republican school teacher named price, assisted several colored republicans, whipped death adam kennard, colored deputy sheriff, republican.

price s trial

in week before price s trial, whites in meridian began threaten him. freedmen outraged had been arrested @ all, no 1 had been arrested or convicted many previous attacks on black people. price first arrested under considered federal anti-kkk law. freedmen angered law intended protect them being used against them. before trial, price stated not pay bond , not go jail. claimed if convicted, supporters begin shooting. when armed party of 50 white men came livingston witness trial, city officials became uneasy. postponed trial week. during alabamans visit meridian, men arrested several freedmen had migrated price city. claimed men had forfeited labor contracts and, in cases, stolen money.

at second date price s trial, 1 of state witnesses kennard ill, court postponed trial week. during time, several prominent city employees told mayor sturgis of concern if price tried, there risk of mass unrest. suggested avoiding trial forcing price leave city. sturgis , other officials made deal prosecutors, , freed price on condition leave city.

given price s absence @ third trial date, prosecutor dropped charges against him, black community of meridian still furious. learned kennard had arrested several alabama freedmen , forced them return livingston. white community organized against mayor sturgis , petitioned have him removed office. blacks countered own petition, sent republican governor adelbert ames, had appointed sturgis. sturgis not removed; opposed prominent whites, became increasingly worried hostility between races.

courthouse meeting

shortly after price s scheduled trial , departure, 1870 gubernatorial election held. republican james l. alcorn won, carrying lauderdale county large majority on basis of voting freedmen. given unrest in meridian, mayor sturgis requested federal troops, since no local officials willing prosecute alabamans or other whites in city. troops arrived, stayed few days. no major violence, withdrawn state s resources limited. sturgis began own legal proceedings against of whites in city, leading greater opposition , renewed effort have him removed. sturgis sent several black advisers governor s office in jackson plead case.

when sturgis s advisers returned city on friday, march 3, 1871, brought aaron moore, republican member of mississippi legislature lauderdale county. called meeting next day, march 4, @ county courthouse make case keeping sturgis in office. 200 people showed meeting included few whites. speeches reportedly criticized militant whites , encouraged freedmen in self-defense. meeting adjourned @ sundown, after several of black people in meeting organized military company william clopton, 1 of sturgis s advisers, leading way. armed swords while others carried guns; many freedmen avoided demonstration.

downtown fire

even before meeting @ courthouse, trouble brewing. whites shared rumors of seeing crowds of armed african americans traveling city, raised fears. local store owner overheard conversation predicting crowds of people – both black , white – out on streets night. when whites heard courthouse meeting, decided sturgis, clopton, , warren tyler, of sturgis s advisors , speechmaker, should forced leave city. organized armed search team find them.

about hour after meeting adjourned, fire broke out in business section of city. fire started on second floor of store owned theodore sturgis, mayor s brother. although cause of fire unknown, many people @ time thought mayor behind it. fire put out, not before two-thirds of business district had been engulfed. block had been rebuilt after being destroyed during general william tecumseh sherman s 1864 raid.

as fire burned, clopton hit in head shotgun barrel. witnesses thought killed wounded. hearing of attack, freedmen became enraged , began passing out guns. @ same time, groups of whites patrolled streets militias rest of night. on next few days under mob rule, sheriff arrested clopton, tyler , moore, , charged them inciting riot. whites appointed committee remove mayor sturgis office.

rumors spread wildly fire had; whites said blacks burn entire city down. sheriff told moore @ church on sunday black people in city required disarm. on monday committee started investigation of fire , concluded mayor sturgis had set it.