Downtown Wilmington, circa 1890

1898 Wilmington Race Riot Commission

Wilmington Wharf, ~1870

Sprunt Cotton Mill Workers, ~1890

Wilmington Jubilee Singers, ~1870

The 1890’s dawned on a vibrant Wilmington in which African Americans played a vital role in the city’s economic and political life. The 1890’s dawned on a vibrant Wilmington in which African Americans played a vital role in the city’s economic and political life. The Farmer’s Alliance emerged by the end of the 1880’s as a powerful political machine, and evolved into the Populist Party by Populists challenged Democrats and Republicans but most closely associated their platform with Republicans. The Farmer’s Alliance emerged by the end of the 1880’s as a powerful political machine, and evolved into the Populist Party by Populists challenged Democrats and Republicans but most closely associated their platform with Republicans. Populists and Republicans created a coalition known as Fusion by the 1894 election. Fusion candidates defeated Democrats statewide and gained control of the General Assembly. Populists and Republicans created a coalition known as Fusion by the 1894 election. Fusion candidates defeated Democrats statewide and gained control of the General Assembly. Democrats were poorly organized and failed to mount a successful offense against the well organized Fusionists led by Populist Marion Butler and Republican Daniel Russell. The 1895 Fusion legislature reformed state and local government, effectively curtailing the ability of incumbent Democratic officials to hold sway in local matters. The 1895 Fusion legislature reformed state and local government, effectively curtailing the ability of incumbent Democratic officials to hold sway in local matters. 1896: Plessy v Furguson ushered in “separate but equal.” 1896: Plessy v Furguson ushered in “separate but equal.”

Democrats lost to a well organized Fusion campaign in Daniel Russell was elected as the state’s first Republican governor since Reconstruction. The Fusionist legislature of 1897 made sweeping changes to Wilmington’s city charter. Local white leaders were unhappy with the changes and unsuccessfully challenged the legality of the charter changes. The new city charter allowed each of the city’s five wards to elect an alderman with Governor Russell holding the ability to appoint the other five aldermen. The charter change, coupled with Russell’s patronage practices, led to claims of racism from both white Democrats and black Republicans. Although African American voters fell in line behind Republican candidates, they often took issue with both Republican and Fusionist strategies and candidates.

Wilmington’s black businesses grew at a faster pace than in other N. C. cities and African American workers flocked to the city. The black community established institutions to assist those wishing to buy a house, including the development of the Peoples Perpetual Building and Loan Association in 1889 and the American Union Association in Strides were made in home ownership and, in 1897, over one thousand African Americans owned some sort of property in the city. The city’s black schools prospered with increased numbers of educators drawn from the local ranks. Support organizations strengthened the city’s efforts in providing public education. A distinctive social and cultural environment developed in Wilmington’s African American population, bolstered by schools, wealth and inherited status. As the 1890’s wore on, Wilmington’s white leaders sought methods to return to political office and economic prominence. Key to this effort was the movement to regain Democratic control of the legislature through clandestine operations.

Political Cartoon from Raleigh Paper, 1890?

Local Reconstruction Congressman, George Henry White fled the city and established Whiteville, MD

Alexander Manly, Editor and owner of the Wilmington Record

Charles C. Manly, NC Governor, , BOT UNC, Alex Manly’s grandfather

Rebecca Latimer Felton, feminist, white supremacist, 1 st woman to serve in Congress, serving 1 whole day. “When there is not enough religion in the pulpit to organize a crusade against sin; nor justice in the court house to promptly punish crime; nor manhood enough in the nation to put a sheltering arm about innocence and virtue----if it needs lynching to protect woman’s dearest possession form the ravening human beasts----then I say lynch, a thousand times a week if necessary.”

Manly (r) escaping Wilmington

Manly’ s editorial 8/18/1898

Eve of Destruction Mrs. Felton made her comments in the summer of 1898 Mr. Manly read them a few weeks later and published a rebuttal that said in essence: Black men and white women often fall in love and have consensual relations. However, when they are discovered, the Black man is lynched. Although few whites read it in Manley’s Record at the time, it was noticed. In the run up to the November election, the white Messenger, ran Manly’s essay every day. Thus, the whites were whipped up and the secret nine, wealthy and powerful men, assured a Democratic political majority through intimidation and ballot box stuffing.

The election came and went on 11/9/1898 The day after the election, the victorious Democrats, made demands that Alex Manly leave town, the mayor and police chief, both Black, but lame ducks, resign. Alfred Waddell read the White Declaration of Independence on the steps of Thalian Hall. They would have resigned, but the post demanding their compliance was late. A group of whites, some of whom had just returned from the Spanish American war, burned Manly’s press down and began systematically attacking Blacks.

Wilmington Record burned 11/10/1898

Black businesses, Wilmington, 1890 (Andy Kraft)

Black businesses, Wilmington, 1900 (Andy Kraft)

Geography of the 1898 “Riot” (Andy Kraft)

The corner of 4 th & Harnett Streets, where the first two victims were shot to death, 11/10/1898.

Black prisoners being led away, 11/10/1898

Cover image of Collier’s Magazine, implying rioting Blacks

Alfred Moore Waddell The leader of the Secret Nine and the new Mayor of Wilmington after the coup

Wilmington PD, 1909

Wilmington Ten, February 1971

1984

1994

Tulsa, OK, 1921

Professor John Hope Franklin, Duke University Emeritus Historian and Keynote Speaker at the 1898 Symposium in 1998 at UNCW

1898 Memorial Site N. 3 rd & Davis Streets

Taylor Homes, North Fourth Street, built 1950s, demolished in 2005

1898 Memorial Site at Third and Davis, ~2003

Design 3: The Winner. Odelay’s mock up for the 1898 memorial at Third and Davis, ~2000

On the 100 th anniversary of the coup, children read the Declaration of Racial Inclusion on the steps of Thalian Hall

Resources 1898 Wilmington Race Riot Commission North Carolina Reconstruction Politics Red Shirts in North Carolina Declaration of White Supremacy, 1898 Declaration of Racial Inclusion, 1998