Lynching Vs Slavery

1) I agree with the authors that economics fueled lynchings, however I question the level of significance the authors place on the relationship. When they state, “Some consensus has emerged that lynching was a response by white southerners to perceived threats from the black population” (Beck & Tolnay 526) There was undoubtedly a fear of colored individuals in the now free south. Of the multitude of reasons to lynch blacks, a common defense would be the loss of jobs due to the emancipation of slaves. As seen with the illustration on page 529, there seems to be little correlation between the cost of cotton and the number of lynching victims before 1910. Following the turn of the century, there appears to be a more considerable correlation

As the authors state on page 533, “Changes in the racial composition of the population influenced the likelihood of lethal mob action”. This would present a counter view to that claim, one that blamed systemic racism for increased lynchings. For the poor whites in society, they did not dare the challenge the whites holding the highest class power. “Given the Deep South’s racial caste structure, whites could harass and assault blacks with virtual impunity” (Beck & Tolnay 537). While statistical modeling can be great to help draw conclusions, it does possess limitations. In this article, they also reference how the plot behind the movie Birth of a Nation was fueled by a “bottoming of the cotton market” (Beck & Tolnay 528) Without understanding the complex relationship of blacks and whites during this time, it is difficult to draw a qualitative, definitive conclusion when there are many outside factors that would need to be considered. It blurs the line as to whether economics might have just been an excuse for lynching, which would have occurred regardless of the economic

The disparity between blacks and whites following the civil war was immense. With blacks facing significant barriers of entry into well-paying jobs, it was virtually impossible for blacks to be considered having anywhere near the equal rights to whites. In relation to Reconstruction, “The civil officials elected or appointed during the first months after the end of the war were scarcely prepared to treat the former slaves as free men and women, much less a full-fledged citizens” (Miller, O’Donovan, Rodrigue, Rowland 1061). This mindset is why many view Reconstruction as largely a failure. They ignored the larger problem at hand. With many freed blacks possessing no education, no land and little money, there was a great disparity present from the start. Education is a great stepping-stone for almost everyone in every social class in society. The same has been true long since the founding of this nation. With the backbone of an education, blacks could slowly improve the welfare of their people and each generation would make much greater leaps up the social