Greenwood in Greenwood County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Lynching in America / The Phoenix Massacre
Community Remembrance Project
Photographed By Tom Bosse, December 30, 2023
1. Lynching in America Marker
Inscription.
Lynching in America, also, The Phoenix Massacre. Community Remembrance Project.
Lynching in America. Between 1865 and 1950, white mobs lynched over 6,500 Black people across the U.S. Following the Civil War, white Southerners fiercely resisted equal rights for Black Americans and sought to uphold an ideology of white supremacy. By Reconstruction's end in 1877, federal courts and Congress had abandoned enforcement of laws meant to protect formerly enslaved people, ceding control back to Confederate veterans who remained committed to reestablishing white supremacy through law, intimidation, and racial violence. Lynching, which went beyond hanging to often include shooting, burning, or mutilation, emerged as the most public and notorious form of racial terrorism. Black political activity was seen as a particular threat to the established racial hierarchy, and many Black people were lynched for attempting to vote or engaging in political organizing. The practice of terrorizing Black community members at random in the wake of racial disputes was also commonplace. Lynching was not simply retaliation for a specific crime, but rather a means of sending a broader message that dissent would not be tolerated. In the months after the 1898 massacre, hundreds of terrorized Black residents fled the region, transforming a population that in Phoenix had been more than two-thirds Black. Although many victims of racial terror lynching will never be known, at least 207 have been documented in South Carolina, with at least 16 in Greenwood County.,
The Phoenix Massacre. From November 9-14, 1898, white mobs in Phoenix lynched at least eight Black men and one Black woman and terrorized Black residents. The November 8 general election was the first since the enactment of the 1895 state constitution, which effectively barred Black people from voting. That morning at the local polling site, a white poll manager was killed and a prominent white supporter of Black voting rights was repeatedly shot during an altercation regarding the latter's attempt to help Black men participate in the political process. Already enraged by the threat of Black political action, hundreds of white citizens immediately began to hunt down Black people they claimed were present. On November 9, a mob rounded up a group of Black people in the woods near Rehoboth United Methodist Church and fatally shot five: Wade Hampton McKinney, Jesse Williams, Columbus Jackson, Drayton Watts, and George Logan. Others were wounded or managed to flee. On November 10, a mob shot Essex Harrison in the heart in the same woods and dumped his body with the others. That day white mobs also lynched Ben Collins and Jeff Darling. On November 14, Eliza Goode, an elderly Black woman, was killed in her home by white men firing indiscriminately into houses on her street. No one was ever held accountable for their role in these brutal lynchings, and arbitrary beatings and whippings of Black people in the region continued for years afterward.
Lynching in America
Between 1865 and 1950, white mobs lynched over 6,500 Black people across the U.S. Following the Civil War, white Southerners fiercely resisted equal rights for Black Americans and sought to uphold an ideology of white supremacy. By Reconstruction's end in 1877, federal courts and Congress had abandoned enforcement of laws meant to protect formerly enslaved people, ceding control back to Confederate veterans who remained committed to reestablishing white supremacy through law, intimidation, and racial violence. Lynching, which went beyond hanging to often include shooting, burning, or mutilation, emerged as the most public and notorious form of racial terrorism. Black political activity was seen as a particular threat to the established racial hierarchy, and many Black people were lynched for attempting to vote or engaging in political organizing. The practice of terrorizing Black community members at random in the wake of racial disputes was also commonplace. Lynching was not simply retaliation for a specific crime, but rather a means of sending a broader message that dissent would not be tolerated. In the months after the 1898 massacre, hundreds of terrorized Black residents fled the region, transforming a population that in Phoenix had been more than two-thirds Black. Although many victims
Click or scan to see this page online
of racial terror lynching will never be known, at least 207 have been documented in South Carolina, with at least 16 in Greenwood County.
The Phoenix Massacre
From November 9-14, 1898, white mobs in Phoenix lynched at least eight Black men and one Black woman and terrorized Black residents. The November 8 general election was the first since the enactment of the 1895 state constitution, which effectively barred Black people from voting. That morning at the local polling site, a white poll manager was killed and a prominent white supporter of Black voting rights was repeatedly shot during an altercation regarding the latter's attempt to help Black men participate in the political process. Already enraged by the threat of Black political action, hundreds of white citizens immediately began to hunt down Black people they claimed were present. On November 9, a mob rounded up a group of Black people in the woods near Rehoboth United Methodist Church and fatally shot five: Wade Hampton McKinney, Jesse Williams, Columbus Jackson, Drayton Watts, and George Logan. Others were wounded or managed to flee. On November 10, a mob shot Essex Harrison in the heart in the same woods and dumped his body with the others. That day white mobs also lynched Ben Collins and Jeff Darling. On November 14, Eliza Goode, an elderly Black woman, was killed in her home by
Photographed By Tom Bosse, December 30, 2023
2. The Phoenix Massacre Marker
white men firing indiscriminately into houses on her street. No one was ever held accountable for their role in these brutal lynchings, and arbitrary beatings and whippings of Black people in the region continued for years afterward.
Erected 2023 by Equal Justice Initiative, Greenwood County Community 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 year for this entry is 1898.
Location. 34° 12.002′ N, 82° 8.633′ W. Marker is in Greenwood, South Carolina, in Greenwood County. Marker can be reached from North Hospital Street north of Brewer Avenue, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 237 N Hospital St, Greenwood SC 29646, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 27, 2024. It was originally submitted on January 1, 2024, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 92 times since then. Last updated on January 3, 2024, by Gianluca De Fazio of Harrisonburg, Virginia. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on January 1, 2024, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
