Longview race riot facts for kids
| Part of Red Summer | |
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| Date | July 10–12, 1919 |
|---|---|
| Location | Longview, Texas, United States |
| Also known as | Longview Race Riot of 1919 |
| Type | Race riot |
| Deaths | 1 |
The Longview race riot was a series of violent events that happened in Longview, Texas. It took place between July 10 and July 12, 1919. During this time, white groups attacked areas where black people lived. One black man was killed, and several buildings were burned. These included the homes of a black teacher and a doctor.
This riot was one of many that happened in the United States in 1919. This period was called the Red Summer. It was a time after World War I when many riots occurred, mostly in cities. The Longview riot ended when local and state leaders stepped in. They used military power to stop the violence.
At first, local officials did not pay attention to rumors of trouble. But later, they asked the governor for help. Soon, the Texas National Guard and Texas Rangers arrived. The Guard took control of the town and set a curfew (a time when people had to stay indoors). Before the police and military arrived, some people were shot. Many black homes and businesses were also burned. One black man was shot and killed by armed white people. Even though many white and black people were arrested, no one was ever punished for the events. The black people who were arrested were taken to Austin for their safety. Half of them were told not to return to Longview.
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What Led to the Riot
Longview is a town in northeast Texas, about 125 miles east of Dallas. In 1919, about 5,700 people lived there. Around 1,790 of them, or 31%, were African American. This area used to grow a lot of cotton, which relied on slave labor before the American Civil War. Cutting timber was also a big part of the local economy.
Many black people had already moved from the South to cities in the North and Midwest. This was part of the Great Migration. Sometimes, they were hired for jobs that white workers also wanted. This caused tension. In 1919, many cities across the country saw riots. White and black groups clashed because of competition for jobs and homes after the war.
In Longview, racial tensions were very strong. Most black people in Texas and the South could not vote in the early 1900s. New state laws had taken away their voting rights. They faced unfair rules called Jim Crow laws and white supremacy. This meant white people had more power and treated black people unfairly. Violence also increased after the war. In 1919, 78 black people were killed by mobs in Texas. This was a big increase from the years during World War I.
Why the Riot Started
After many black soldiers fought in World War I, African Americans hoped for better treatment in the United States. Black people in East Texas knew about national movements and news. For example, The Chicago Defender, a newspaper for black communities, was delivered weekly by train.
Samuel L. Jones, a schoolteacher, was the local reporter and distributor for this newspaper. At that time, Jones and Dr. Calvin P. Davis, a 34-year-old black doctor, were important leaders in Longview's African-American community. Before the riot, they encouraged black farmers to sell their cotton directly to buyers in Galveston. This way, farmers could keep more of their profits instead of selling to white brokers. Also, members of the National Negro Business League had opened a cooperative store that competed with white businesses.
In June, a local man named Lemuel Walters was attacked by two white men. They were from Kilgore and claimed he had bothered their sister. Under Jim Crow laws, white men strictly controlled relationships between black men and white women. Walters was arrested and put in jail in Longview. On June 17, a mob of ten men took him from jail. They killed him that night by shooting him, leaving his body near the railroad tracks.
Dr. Davis, Jones, and other respected black men asked Judge Bramlette to investigate Walters' killing. The judge asked for names of people Jones had spoken to at the jail. When no investigation happened, the men returned to the judge. They became sure he would not look into the case.
On July 5, 1919, The Chicago Defender published an article about Walters' death. It said that "Walters' only crime was that he was loved by a white woman." It also quoted her (without naming her) saying she "would have married him if they had lived in the North." The article said she was "so upset over his death that she needed a doctor." It also claimed the sheriff guarding Walters let the mob take him without fighting back. The article did not name the woman, but in small towns, many readers knew who she was. Some people were angry about the idea that she loved Walters. They said it hurt the young woman's reputation.
The Riot Begins
Attack on Samuel L. Jones
People believed Samuel L. Jones wrote the article for the Defender. He said he did not write it. On Thursday, July 10, 1919, the young woman's brothers attacked Jones. They beat him badly across from the courthouse. Dr. Calvin P. Davis arrived soon after in his car. He took Jones to his office to treat him. Meanwhile, anger spread through town as white people learned about the article. Black people gathered at Melvin Street when they heard about Jones' beating.
Davis was warned that Jones might be in danger that night. He asked the mayor for protection. The mayor sent a message to Jones at supper time. He told Jones and Davis to leave town that night. Davis later found out that the mayor and other officials were having a meeting about the situation. He went to the meeting, asking for protection. He repeated that neither he nor Jones had written the article. They were told to leave town, but they did not want to run away. The mayor, Judge Bramlette, and a local lawyer named Ras Young had talked to local white people. They urged them to leave Jones alone. But "gangs" of both white and black people were in the streets that night, ready for trouble.
Around midnight on July 10, a group of about twelve to fifteen white men met at Bodie Park. They drove to Jones' house, arriving around 1:00 AM on July 11, 1919. Davis and Jones had gathered about 25 friends to protect the house. Davis warned them not to shoot until he gave the order. When the white men came near the house, Jones and his friends started shooting with small arms. Some of the white men were also armed. They shot back as they ran for cover. More than 100 shots were fired. Three of the white men were slightly hurt by birdshot. A fourth white man hid under a nearby house. He was caught by the black defenders and badly beaten.
The remaining white men ran back to the center of Longview. Most went to the fire station, where a crowd grew. Some people in the crowd broke into the Welch Hardware Store to get more guns and bullets. At this point, the mob feared their captured friend was dead. So, they called for more people to join them. Davis reported that the fire bell rang, and nearly 1,000 white people gathered. (Other reports say the group was 100 people.) Near daybreak, around 4:00 AM, the mob returned to Jones' house. They found it empty and set it on fire. They also burned a house next door.
From there, the mob moved to the Quick Hall, a black dance hall owned by Charlie Medlock. They set it on fire because there were rumors it held ammunition. Bullets started exploding inside the building. The mob then went to Dr. Davis' empty house and burned it too. They first let his wife and children leave safely. They burned a car on the street and then burned his office. Moving east, the mob reached the homes of Ben Sanders and Charlie Medlock. They set both on fire. When Medlock and Belle Sanders, Ben's wife, tried to stop them, they were attacked.
As the sun rose, the mob broke up. Sheriff D.S. Meredith and Judge Bramlette called Governor William P. Hobby to ask for military help. Governor Hobby put National Guard units in Dallas, Terrell, and Nacogdoches on high alert. But he only sent eight Texas Rangers to Longview. They were not expected to arrive until Saturday morning, July 12. Longview officials expected more trouble on Friday. They called Governor Hobby again. He then sent some National Guard soldiers to Longview. These soldiers were about 100 men from the 5th, 6th, and 7th Texas Cavalry Regiments. They set up a large tent near the courthouse to use as a command post. The Washington Times reported that planes were even used to help stop the riots.
More Help and Martial Law
When local officials heard about a killing, they feared more unrest. They called Governor Hobby again for help. He sent about 160 more soldiers and Texas Rangers. On Sunday, July 13, Governor Hobby declared martial law in all of Gregg County. This meant the military took control. He put Brigadier General Robert H. McDill in charge of the soldiers and rangers.
On July 13, General McDill gave orders. He divided the town into two areas. He put Colonel T.E. Barton in charge of one section and Colonel H.W. Peck in charge of the other. Colonel H.C. Smith was put in command of the Texas Rangers. General McDill ordered a curfew in Longview from 10:30 PM to 6:00 AM. He also said that groups of three or more people could not gather on the streets. He told local telephone operators not to connect any long-distance calls. This was to stop people from getting more weapons or men from nearby towns.
He ordered everyone in Longview and Kilgore to turn in their weapons at the county courthouse in Longview. People were warned that their homes could be searched. There would be a serious penalty for hiding guns. An estimated 5,000 to 7,000 guns were turned in at the courthouse. They were stored in different places throughout the building.
General McDill asked town officials to create a committee of local citizens. This committee would work with him and the military during the emergency. Only white businessmen and other leaders were chosen for this committee. The committee met on Monday, July 14, at Judge Bramlette's office. They chose the lawyer Ras Young as chairman. They also allowed Judge Bramlette, Sheriff Bodenheim, and Young to talk with the military.
The committee made a list of concerns. They "disapproved" of Jones' newspaper article and the armed defense of his former home. Their statement said they would not "permit the negroes of this community and county to in any way interfere with our social affairs or to write or circulate articles about the white people of our city or county...." The committee also said they were against the burning of African-American property. They took steps to prevent more damage. The members praised Governor Hobby for quickly sending the National Guard and Texas Rangers.
Investigation and Arrests
The Rangers found out who the "ringleader" of the riot was. This person gave them the names of sixteen other men involved in the first attack on Jones' house. All of them were arrested for attempted murder on July 14. But they were quickly released after paying $1,000 in bail. The Rangers also found the names of nine other suspects. They arrested them for arson (setting fires). They were also released on $1,000 bail.
Captain Hanson also questioned black residents. He ended up arresting twenty-one black men for assault and attempted murder. He first put them in the county jail. Then, he moved them to Austin for their safety. Neither Jones nor Davis were arrested because they had secretly left town. Davis dressed as a soldier and left by train.
General McDill held a meeting at the courthouse. He told the public about the arrests, the presence of the National Guard troops and Texas Rangers, and what was expected. Brigadier General Jake F. Wolters also spoke to the citizens. According to Durham, the meeting had a "calming effect" on the crowd. No other violent acts were reported. A couple of fires happened, but they were not thought to be caused by arson.
Eventually, McDill asked the citizens' committee when they thought martial law should end. They said he should wait until all the arrested black people were sent out of the county. This was because there were rumors that some white people would kill these men as soon as they got their guns back. The twenty-one black people were taken to Austin by the Texas National Guard. Officials in Travis County wanted to put the prisoners in the Texas State Penitentiary at the state's expense. But that would have been against the law. The prisoners were divided into smaller groups and placed in different county jails. Gregg County paid for this until they could be tried in a Gregg County court. The black people who had helped Davis defend Jones at home were told not to return to Longview. But others returned to a more peaceful town.
The governor ended martial law at noon on Friday, July 18. Residents were allowed to start picking up their guns the next day. Town officials tried to encourage "friendly relations" between the races. None of the black people or white people involved were ever tried in court. Some believe that Gregg County officials chose not to have trials to reduce tension. They might have thought that white people would likely be found innocent and black people guilty by the all-white juries of that time. There are no records explaining why the trials were not pursued.
What Happened Next
Dr. Davis and Samuel Jones both reached Chicago after leaving Longview. They eventually settled there with their families. On August 18, 1919, they met with John R. Shillady. He was the white executive secretary of the national office of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). They also met with Charles E. Bentley, a black dentist who was the secretary of the Chicago chapter. They told them about the events in Longview. A summary of their story was published in the NAACP's newspaper, The Crisis, in October.
By that time, racial conflicts had broken out in many cities across the country, both large and small. This included Chicago, which had a week of violence ending in early August. That riot resulted in 38 deaths and more than 500 people injured. There was also a lot of property damage. Violence by white people against black people continued into the fall. For example, there was a riot in Omaha, Nebraska, in late September. Black people continued to defend themselves during these events.
See also
In Spanish: Disturbios raciales de Longview de 1919 para niños
