East St. Louis Massacre

People

W.E.B. Du Bois; Martha Gruening; Ida B. Wells; Marcus Garvey

Outcome

unknown

The East St. Louis massacre was one of the deadliest racial attacks in American history, occurring from July 2-5, 1917, when white mobs systematically attacked African American residents, killing between 39 and 200 Black people, displacing over 6,000, and destroying approximately $400,000 in property (equivalent to nearly $10 million in 2024). The violence was rooted in tensions over the Great Migration, as 10,000 to 12,000 Black Southerners had arrived in East St. Louis during 1916-1917 seeking wartime industrial jobs—arriving at a rate of 2,000 per week by spring 1917. White workers resented Black newcomers as competition for jobs and blamed them for being used as strikebreakers, particularly after 470 Black workers were hired to replace striking white workers at the Aluminum Ore Company in February 1917. The massacre was triggered on the night of July 1, 1917, when white men in cars drove through Black neighborhoods randomly shooting into homes. When a second car passed through later that night, Black residents returned fire—unknowingly killing Detective Sergeant Samuel Coppedge and mortally wounding Detective Frank Wadley, who were in an unmarked police car. The next day, the detectives' bullet-riddled, blood-stained Ford was displayed in front of the police station, inciting thousands of white spectators to rush into Black neighborhoods and begin the massacre. The National Guard was called but ordered not to shoot at white rioters; some troops reportedly joined the mobs. W.E.B. Du Bois and Ida B. Wells investigated the atrocity, and on July 28, 1917, the NAACP organized the Silent Parade—approximately 10,000 African Americans marching silently down Fifth Avenue in New York City—considered the first major civil rights demonstration of the twentieth century. By 1917, East St. Louis had become a destination for Black Southerners fleeing Jim Crow oppression and seeking better-paying industrial jobs in wartime factories. The city's white population grew increasingly hostile as the Black population swelled. Politicians spread conspiracies about Black residents' role in voter fraud. Newspapers published inflammatory stories falsely reporting Black crime waves. Local government and union leaders exaggerated the number of Black migrants and their economic impact. Samuel Gompers, leader of the American Federation of Labor, attributed the riots to organized efforts to destabilize labor conditions, suggesting the violence was "understandable" since white workers' jobs were at risk. An initial outbreak of violence occurred on May 28, 1917, following a city council meeting where white workers complained about Black migration. A rumor circulated about an attempted robbery by a Black man, and white mobs attacked, stopping trolleys and streetcars and pulling Black passengers out for beatings. Governor Frank O. Lowden deployed the National Guard, which temporarily dispersed the crowds. The main massacre began on July 2, 1917. Following the shooting of the two detectives the previous night, their bullet-riddled Ford was placed in front of the police station, blood still staining the interior. Thousands of white spectators gathered to view it, then rushed into the Black sections of town. The mob beat and shot Black people on the street indiscriminately, including women and children. White rioters cut fire department water hoses, then burned entire sections of the city and shot Black residents as they fled the flames. Some whites hanged Black people, claiming that "Southern Negroes deserve a genuine lynching." Victims had to choose between burning alive in their homes or running out to be met by gunfire. The violence included drive-by shootings, beatings, arson, and lynchings against burning buildings. White mobs ambushed African American workers as they left factories during shift changes. The National Guard was deployed but proved ineffective—or worse. Troops were ordered not to shoot at white rioters, and some soldiers reportedly joined the mobs targeting the Black community. A House Special Committee later investigated and found that "the National Guard and East St. Louis police force had not acted adequately," with officers fleeing crime scenes. Several police members were indicted. The official death toll was 39 Black people and 8-9 white people, but the NAACP estimated between 100 and 200 Black people were killed. W.E.B. Du Bois called it a "mass lynching." The violence displaced over 6,000 African Americans—more than half the Black population—and caused approximately $400,000 in property damage. Many survivors fled and never returned. W.E.B. Du Bois and Martha Gruening investigated the massacre for the NAACP's magazine *The Crisis*, publishing their findings as "Massacre at East St. Louis." Ida B. Wells also investigated the atrocity. Marcus Garvey of the Universal Negro Improvement Association called it "a crime against the laws of humanity" and alleged a conspiracy by authorities, using the event to build his movement. On July 28, 1917, the NAACP organized the Silent Parade in New York City. Approximately 10,000 African Americans—men, women, and children dressed in white—marched silently down Fifth Avenue carrying signs protesting the violence and appealing to President Woodrow Wilson. This is now recognized as the first major civil rights demonstration of the twentieth century. Many Americans demanded Wilson revise his war slogan from "make the world safe for democracy" to "make America safe for democracy." While 105 people faced indictment related to the massacre, justice was limited: only 20 white mob members received prison sentences. The East St. Louis massacre, occurring just three months after America entered World War I to "make the world safe for democracy," exposed the brutal hypocrisy of sending Black troops to fight abroad while Black citizens were being murdered at home. The event contributed to the wave of racial violence during the "Red Summer" of 1919, when 26 race riots erupted across the nation.