Opelika in Lee County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
Lynching in America ⎯⎯⎯ Lynching in Lee County
Community Remembrance Project
Photographed by Mark Hilton, July 3, 2021
1. Lynching in America Marker
Inscription.
Lynching in America, also, Lynching in Lee County. Community Remembrance Project.
Lynching in America. After the Civil War, the ideology of white supremacy led to violent resistance to equal rights for Black people. Lynching emerged to enforce racial hierarchy through arbitrary and deadly violence that terrorized all Black people. Thousands of African Americans were lynched - often by large crowds - and their corpses were left on display for hours or days. On November 3, 1902, an armed white mob seized Samuel Harris, a Black man who was picking cotton in a field when two white women reported a robbery and assault nearby in Salem. Mere hours later, with no evidence implicating Mr. Harris, over 125 men shot him to death. His pregnant wife, Beatrice, was arrested as an accomplice. Newspapers did not report what happened to Mrs. Harris after her arrest.
On March 17, 1900, a white teenager reported being startled when she saw Charles Humphries, a young Black employee of her father, in her room. The next morning a mob of white men went to his home near Phenix City and shot him over 40 times. During this era, white people's fears of interracial sex extended to any action by a Black man that could be arbitrarily interpreted as seeking contact with a white woman. White communities were often supportive of violence against Black people, and the lynchings of many victims were not recorded and remain unknown. Lynching inflicted lasting traumatic wounds for Black people in the South and thousands fled the region as refugees of racial terrorism.
Lynching in Lee County. Between 1877 and 1950, white mobs" lynched at least 361 African Americans in Alabama, including several in Lee County. During this era, Black people faced a presumption of guilt that made them vulnerable to accusations of crime and mob violence, often without investigation. In 1886, cousins John Moss and George Hart were part of the search party that found the body of a missing white man in Waverly. Hearing that a lynch mob accused them of the murder the cousins attempted to get to safety. On November 3, the white mob kidnapped Mr. Moss. Despite his pleas of innocence, the mob tortured him, hanged him and burned his body. Mr. Hart was seized in a citizen's arrest and taken to the Montgomery jail to avoid mob violence. On November 1, 1887, he returned to Opelika for trial. News soon broke that the evidence against Mr. Hart was not strong enough for a conviction. On November 5, over 60 armed white men kidnapped him from the Lee County Jail.
Although legally required to protect people in their custody, police were often indifferent or ineffective at protecting Black people. The white mob hanged Mr. Hart from the same tree as John Moss and pinned a placard to his back to terrorize the Black community. It said: "this negro was hung by 100 determined men; whoever cuts him down will suffer his fate." Local officials were complicit in each of these lynchings, including local law enforcement. No one was ever held accountable.
Lynching in America
After the Civil War, the ideology of white supremacy led to violent
resistance to equal rights for Black people. Lynching emerged to enforce
racial hierarchy through arbitrary and deadly violence that terrorized
all Black people. Thousands of African Americans were lynched - often
by large crowds - and their corpses were left on display for hours or days.
On November 3, 1902, an armed white mob seized Samuel Harris, a Black
man who was picking cotton in a field when two white women reported
a robbery and assault nearby in Salem. Mere hours later, with no
evidence implicating Mr. Harris, over 125 men shot him to death. His
pregnant wife, Beatrice, was arrested as an accomplice. Newspapers
did not report what happened to Mrs. Harris after her arrest.
On March 17, 1900, a white teenager reported being startled when she
saw Charles Humphries, a young Black employee of her father, in her
room. The next morning a mob of white men went to his home near
Phenix City and shot him over 40 times. During this era, white people's
fears of interracial sex extended to any action by a Black man that
could be arbitrarily interpreted as seeking contact with a white woman.
White communities were often supportive of violence against Black
people, and the lynchings of many victims were not recorded and remain
unknown. Lynching inflicted lasting traumatic wounds for Black people in
the South and thousands fled the region as refugees of racial terrorism.
Lynching in Lee County
Between 1877 and 1950, white mobs" lynched at least 361 African
Americans in Alabama, including several in Lee County. During this era,
Black people faced a presumption of guilt that made them vulnerable to
accusations of crime and mob violence, often without investigation. In
1886, cousins John Moss and George Hart were part of the search party
that found the body of a missing white man in Waverly. Hearing that a
lynch mob accused them of the murder the cousins attempted to get
to safety. On November 3, the white mob kidnapped Mr. Moss. Despite
his pleas of innocence, the mob tortured him, hanged him and burned
his body. Mr. Hart was seized in a citizen's arrest and taken to the
Montgomery jail to avoid mob violence. On November 1, 1887, he returned
to Opelika for trial. News soon broke that the evidence against Mr. Hart
was not strong enough for a conviction. On November 5, over 60 armed
white men kidnapped him from the Lee County Jail.
Although legally required to protect people in their custody, police
were often indifferent or ineffective at protecting Black people. The
white mob hanged Mr. Hart from the same tree as John Moss and pinned
a placard to his back to terrorize the Black community. It said: "this
negro was hung by 100 determined men; whoever cuts him down will
suffer his fate." Local officials were complicit in each of these lynchings,
including local law enforcement. No one was ever held accountable.
Erected 2021
Click or scan to see this page online
by Equal Justice Initiative, Lee County Remembrance Project.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights. In addition, it is included in the Lynching in America series list. A significant historical date for this entry is March 17, 1900.
Location. 32° 38.783′ N, 85° 22.736′ W. Marker is in Opelika, Alabama, in Lee County. It is on South 9th Street south of Avenue A, on the left when traveling south. Located in Opelika Courthouse Square. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Opelika AL 36801, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in East Alabama and in Greater Columbus. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
3. View of marker towards the Lee County Courthouse.
Photographed by Mark Hilton, July 3, 2021
4. View of marker in the Courthouse Square.
Photographed by Brandon D Cross
5. Lynching in Lee County Marker
A Replica marker of one side is located at the Equal Justice Initiatives' National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama. The Equal Justice Initiative supports efforts to locally memorialize documented victims of racial violence and to educate communities about the history of racial injustice. Mark Hilton
Credits. This page was last revised on October 15, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 3, 2021, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 1,327 times since then and 58 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 3, 2021, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. 5. submitted on October 14, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.
