Lynching of Jim McMillan

Jim McMillan was lynched in Bibb County, Alabama on June 18, 1919.

Jim McMillan
Bibb County, Alabama Lynching Coverage
Died	June 18, 1919 Bibb County, Alabama
Body discovered	Bibb County, Alabama
Known for	Lynched during America's Red Summer of 1919

Lynching

Racial tension in the Woodstock and Green Pond communities of Bibb County, Alabama worsened over the summer of 1919. Individuals terrorized the black community in southern Bibb County, around Woodstock.^[1] The events culminated in a white mob seizing Jim McMillan and taking him into the Alabama bush. He was forced onto a stump and the mob shot him to death.^[2][3][4][5]

Arrests

Sheriff R. H. Wood arrested four Bibb County farmers in response to the lynching: J. Blankenshlp, James D. Oglesby, Elisha Green and Tom Russell. They were charged with murder and held in jail in Centreville, Alabama.^[2] A special grand jury was summoned by B. F. Miller.^[2] on June 23, 1919.^{[6] [4] [5]}

Aftermath

Main article: Red Summer

These lynchings were one of several incidents of civil unrest that are now known as the American Red Summer of 1919. Attacks on black communities and white oppression spread to more than three dozen cities and counties. In most cases, white mobs attacked African American neighborhoods. In some cases, black community groups resisted the attacks, especially in Chicago and Washington, D.C. Most deaths occurred in rural areas during events like the Elaine race riot in Arkansas, where an estimated 100 to 240 blacks and 5 whites were killed. Other major events of Red Summer were the Chicago race riot and Washington D.C. Race Riot, which caused 38 and 39 deaths, respectively. Both riots had many more non-fatal injuries and extensive property damage reaching up into the millions of dollars.^[7]

Lynchings in Alabama during 1919^[3]

Date	Name	County
June 6, 1919	James E. Lewis	Mobile
June 18, 1919	Jim McMillan	Bibb
August 2, 1919	Archie Robinson	Clarke
August 2, 1919	Unnamed man	Clarke
September 29, 1919	Miles Phifer	Montgomery
September 29, 1919	Robert Croskey	Montgomery
September 30, 1919	John Temple	Montgomery

See also

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jim McMillan.

• Washington race riot of 1919
• Mass racial violence in the United States
• List of incidents of civil unrest in the United States

Bibliography

Notes

1. The Greeneville Daily Sun 1919, p. 1.
2. The Chattanooga News 1919, p. 1.
3. The Guardian 2018.
4. The Atlanta Constitution 1919, p. 3.
5. New Orleans Item 1919.
6. Alexandria Gazette 1919, p. 6.
7. The New York Times 1919.

References

• Alexandria Gazette (June 23, 1919). "White Men Kill Negro". Alexandria Gazette. Alexandria, D.C.: Edgar Snowden. pp. 1–6. ISSN 1946-6153. OCLC 11539504. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
• The Atlanta Constitution (June 21, 1919). "White Men Jailed For Lynching Negro". The Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia. pp. 1–16. ISSN 2473-1609. OCLC 8821030. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
• The Chattanooga News (June 21, 1919). "Arrested For Murder". The Chattanooga News. Chattanooga, Tennessee: News Pub. Co. pp. 1–12. ISSN 2471-1977. OCLC 12703770. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
• The Greeneville Daily Sun (June 21, 1919). "Four Charged With Shooting Negro". The Greeneville Daily Sun. Greeneville, Tennessee: W.R. Lyon. pp. 1–4. ISSN 2475-0174. OCLC 37307396. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
• The Guardian (May 25, 2018). "America's first memorial to victims of lynching opens in Alabama – live updates". The Guardian. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
• New Orleans Item (June 21, 1919). "White Men Are Arrested After Negro Is Killed". New Orleans Item. New Orleans, Louisiana: Item Co. OCLC 17291929.
• The New York Times (October 5, 1919). "For Action on Race Riot Peril". The New York Times. New York, NY. ISSN 1553-8095. OCLC 1645522. Retrieved July 5, 2019.