Frances Thompson was a formerly enslaved black transgender woman and anti-rape activist who was one of the five black women to testify before a congressional committee that investigated the Memphis Riots of 1866. She is believed to be the first transgender woman to testify before the United States Congress. Thompson and a housemate, Lucy Smith, were attacked by a white mob and were among many freedwomen who were raped during the riots.[1] In 1876, Thompson was arrested for "being a man dressed in women's clothing".[2]
Thompson was born into slavery in Alabama and assigned male at birth. By time she was 26 years old, Thompson was living as a free woman in a Black community in Memphis, Tennessee. She made a living doing laundry and lived openly as a woman, keeping her face clean-shaven and wearing brightly colored dresses.[3]
The Memphis Riots of 1866 began after a group of black soldiers, women, and children began to gather in a public space in South Memphis. After the police attempted to break up the group, arresting two soldiers, gunshots broke out which subsequently led to rioting.[4] For three days, a white mob targeted communities of black residents, starting fires, killing black people and raping black women.[5]
During these attacks, Thompson's and Smith's house was targeted by white men who questioned their affiliation with union soldiers.[1] Thompson would later testify during the congressional committee that the men demanded that they (Thompson and Smith) make them food, and they obliged. After which, the men demanded a "woman to sleep with", which Thompson refused; the men then gang-raped both Thompson and Smith and robbed them. The group of white men who attacked the women included two police officers.[1][3]
Congress testimony
Thompson, along with 170 women and men testified before the US Congress during a committee hearing to document the terror, death, rape, arson and theft they experienced during the riots.[6][7] In the testimony, Thompson stated that she and her housemate, Smith, did not consent.
After the hearing, Thompson's testimony became known throughout the south, leading to ten years of raised awareness and persecution for her gender identity. She dealt with both harassment and false accusations, including the claim that she ran a brothel.[3]
1876 arrest
In July 1876, Thompson was fined $50 and jailed for "cross-dressing." She was forced to undergo numerous physician's examinations in which four physicians "confirmed" that her "biological sex" was male.[8] She identified as a woman.[2] Conservatives used her arrest as a "man dressed in women's clothing" as ammunition to discredit her story of being raped during the riots 10 years prior. This fueled an even larger campaign to refute white racial terror against black people in the south.[2] The discovery of Thompson's identity was also used to discredit other black women's claims of rape by white men, and suggested that the entire congressional report that Thompson had testified in was only manufactured propaganda in support of Reconstruction.[1]
Death
After she was arrested for "cross dressing," she was sentenced to the city's chain gang, where she was forced to wear men's clothes and abused while serving time. Thompson moved to North Memphis after she was released, but died within the same year of her initial arrest. She was found seriously ill and moved to a hospital where she died of dysentery. Coroner's reports say that Thompson was anatomically male, but newspaper reports stated that some in Memphis had understood her to be intersex, and that she had stated she was "of double sex".[9]
Historical relevance and impact
Thompson's story is an example of a Black woman reclaiming her body after the injustices of slavery, when slaves didn't have the rights to their own bodies. In addition, she sought justice before the US Congress at a time when free Black women did not often have access to legal support, particularly against the aggressions of white men.[3][10]
Documenting Thompson's story is related to "transcestry," an idea credited to LGBTQ activist CeCe McDonald. Transcestry is the practice of telling the early stories of transgender people in order to acknowledge their historical existence. Thompson is one such example of a trans woman, living openly according to her own gender identity in 1866.[3]
References
^ abcdRosen, Hannah (1999). Hodes, Martha (ed.). Sex, Love, Race: Crossing Boundaries in North American History. New York and London: New York University Press. pp. 267–286. ISBN0814735568.
^ abcRosen, Hannah. Terror in the Heart of Freedom : Citizenship, Sexual Violence, and the Meaning of Race in the Postemancipation South. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2009. Accessed December 20, 2017.
^ abcde"These 5 Black women made history — and here's why you should know their stories". ideas.ted.com. 2021-02-25. Retrieved 2021-09-17.
^Ash, Stephen (2013). A massacre in Memphis : the race riot that shook the nation one year after the Civil War. New York: New York : Hill & Wang, a division of Farrar, Straus and Giroux. pp. 100–.
^Valdivia Rude, Mey (November 15, 2015). "10 Trans Women Pioneers They Definitely Didn't Tell You About In History Class".
^House, United States Congress (1866). The Reports of the Committees of the House of Representatives, Made During the First Session, Thirty-ninth Congress, 1865-'66. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 1.
^"A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774 - 1875". memory.loc.gov. Retrieved 2021-09-17.
^"Frances Thompson, Survivor of the Memphis Massacre". 6 February 2019.
^Beverly Greene Bond, Susan Eva O'Donovan, Remembering the Memphis Massacre: An American Story (2020), page 96
frances, thompson, other, uses, disambiguation, formerly, enslaved, black, transgender, woman, anti, rape, activist, five, black, women, testify, before, congressional, committee, that, investigated, memphis, riots, 1866, believed, first, transgender, woman, t. For other uses see Frances Thompson disambiguation Frances Thompson was a formerly enslaved black transgender woman and anti rape activist who was one of the five black women to testify before a congressional committee that investigated the Memphis Riots of 1866 She is believed to be the first transgender woman to testify before the United States Congress Thompson and a housemate Lucy Smith were attacked by a white mob and were among many freedwomen who were raped during the riots 1 In 1876 Thompson was arrested for being a man dressed in women s clothing 2 Frances ThompsonBorn1840AlabamaDied1876 1876 00 00 aged 35 36 Contents 1 Early life 2 Memphis Riots of 1866 2 1 Congress testimony 3 1876 arrest 3 1 Death 4 Historical relevance and impact 5 ReferencesEarly life EditThompson was born into slavery in Alabama and assigned male at birth By time she was 26 years old Thompson was living as a free woman in a Black community in Memphis Tennessee She made a living doing laundry and lived openly as a woman keeping her face clean shaven and wearing brightly colored dresses 3 Memphis Riots of 1866 EditMain article Memphis riots of 1866 The Memphis Riots of 1866 began after a group of black soldiers women and children began to gather in a public space in South Memphis After the police attempted to break up the group arresting two soldiers gunshots broke out which subsequently led to rioting 4 For three days a white mob targeted communities of black residents starting fires killing black people and raping black women 5 During these attacks Thompson s and Smith s house was targeted by white men who questioned their affiliation with union soldiers 1 Thompson would later testify during the congressional committee that the men demanded that they Thompson and Smith make them food and they obliged After which the men demanded a woman to sleep with which Thompson refused the men then gang raped both Thompson and Smith and robbed them The group of white men who attacked the women included two police officers 1 3 Congress testimony Edit Thompson along with 170 women and men testified before the US Congress during a committee hearing to document the terror death rape arson and theft they experienced during the riots 6 7 In the testimony Thompson stated that she and her housemate Smith did not consent After the hearing Thompson s testimony became known throughout the south leading to ten years of raised awareness and persecution for her gender identity She dealt with both harassment and false accusations including the claim that she ran a brothel 3 1876 arrest EditIn July 1876 Thompson was fined 50 and jailed for cross dressing She was forced to undergo numerous physician s examinations in which four physicians confirmed that her biological sex was male 8 She identified as a woman 2 Conservatives used her arrest as a man dressed in women s clothing as ammunition to discredit her story of being raped during the riots 10 years prior This fueled an even larger campaign to refute white racial terror against black people in the south 2 The discovery of Thompson s identity was also used to discredit other black women s claims of rape by white men and suggested that the entire congressional report that Thompson had testified in was only manufactured propaganda in support of Reconstruction 1 Death Edit After she was arrested for cross dressing she was sentenced to the city s chain gang where she was forced to wear men s clothes and abused while serving time Thompson moved to North Memphis after she was released but died within the same year of her initial arrest She was found seriously ill and moved to a hospital where she died of dysentery Coroner s reports say that Thompson was anatomically male but newspaper reports stated that some in Memphis had understood her to be intersex and that she had stated she was of double sex 9 Historical relevance and impact EditThompson s story is an example of a Black woman reclaiming her body after the injustices of slavery when slaves didn t have the rights to their own bodies In addition she sought justice before the US Congress at a time when free Black women did not often have access to legal support particularly against the aggressions of white men 3 10 Documenting Thompson s story is related to transcestry an idea credited to LGBTQ activist CeCe McDonald Transcestry is the practice of telling the early stories of transgender people in order to acknowledge their historical existence Thompson is one such example of a trans woman living openly according to her own gender identity in 1866 3 References Edit a b c d Rosen Hannah 1999 Hodes Martha ed Sex Love Race Crossing Boundaries in North American History New York and London New York University Press pp 267 286 ISBN 0814735568 a b c Rosen Hannah Terror in the Heart of Freedom Citizenship Sexual Violence and the Meaning of Race in the Postemancipation South Chapel Hill University of North Carolina Press 2009 Accessed December 20 2017 a b c d e These 5 Black women made history and here s why you should know their stories ideas ted com 2021 02 25 Retrieved 2021 09 17 Ash Stephen 2013 A massacre in Memphis the race riot that shook the nation one year after the Civil War New York New York Hill amp Wang a division of Farrar Straus and Giroux pp 100 Valdivia Rude Mey November 15 2015 10 Trans Women Pioneers They Definitely Didn t Tell You About In History Class House United States Congress 1866 The Reports of the Committees of the House of Representatives Made During the First Session Thirty ninth Congress 1865 66 U S Government Printing Office p 1 A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation U S Congressional Documents and Debates 1774 1875 memory loc gov Retrieved 2021 09 17 Frances Thompson Survivor of the Memphis Massacre 6 February 2019 Beverly Greene Bond Susan Eva O Donovan Remembering the Memphis Massacre An American Story 2020 page 96 Berry Daina Ramey Gross Kali Nicole 2021 A Black Women s History of the United States Beacon Press Penguin Random House ISBN 9780807001998 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Frances Thompson amp oldid 1114726158, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
