Yes, the period from 1886 to 1915 saw a significant increase in the incidence of lynching of African Americans in the United States, particularly in the southern states. This period followed the Reconstruction era and was marked by a rise in racial violence and the establishment of Jim Crow laws, which enforced racial segregation and discrimination.
Lynching was often justified by white communities as a form of vigilante justice, claiming to defend against perceived threats from Black individuals. The accused were often subjected to public spectacles that involved brutal violence and were frequently lynched without any legal recourse or fair trial. Allegations of crimes, particularly those against white women, often triggered mob violence, leading to lynchings based on flimsy or fabricated evidence.
The documented cases during this period show how lynchings were not just acts of violence but also served as a means of instilling fear, maintaining white supremacy, and controlling the Black population. Organizations like the NAACP were formed in response to this violence and began to campaign against lynching. The anti-lynching movement gained momentum, advocating for federal legislation to protect African Americans from such violence, although significant legislative changes would take time.
During this time, thousands of African Americans lost their lives to lynching, with various reports estimating that between 3,000 and 5,000 lynchings occurred in the United States from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century. The legacy of lynching has had lasting effects on American society, contributing to systemic racism and continuing disparities in justice and treatment of African Americans.
The Equal Justice Initiative, among other organizations, has worked to document these lynchings and memorialize the victims, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging this dark chapter in American history to understand the present context of racial injustice.