The content included in this source may be disturbing to some viewers and/or contain outdated language. This photograph is from the day of the Wilmington Massacre at the office of the city’s African American newspaper, the Daily Record.
Citation: “Wilmington, N.C. race riot, 1898: the wrecked ‘Record’ building and group of vigilantes.” Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Online Catalog, reproduction from Collier’s Weekly, November, 26, 1898. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2006680061/. Accessed 19 June 2023.
Questions
- What evidence can you find in the photograph that can explain what happened at the Daily Record office?
- What do the demeanors or attitudes of the men and boys in the photograph appear to be?
- Vigilantes are people who take law enforcement into their own hands without legal authority. Do you think these men and boys fit the description of vigilantes? Why or why not?
