January 4, 1923, White Mob Destroys Small Black Community in Rosewood, Florida - Today

Name: ______Period: ______

JANUARY 4, 1923, WHITE MOB DESTROYS SMALL BLACK COMMUNITY IN ROSEWOOD, FLORIDA - TODAY IN CRIME HISTORY

On this date, January 4, in the year 1923, a white vigilante mob began a two day rampage, resulting in the burning and dislocation of the small African-American community of Rosewood Florida.

The events that culminated in the burning of Rosewood actually began on January 1, 1923 in the neighboring community of Sumner, Florida, when a white woman claimed that a black man had assaulted her.It was assumed she [Fannie Coleman Taylor] was reporting the incident accurately. Several groups of white men assembled to capture the accused black man, believing that he had fled and was hiding in Rosewood with the assistance of the black Community. At least one black man, who was believed to have information about the assault, was lynched in Rosewood on January 1, 1923, by members of one vigilante group of white men. The dead man’s body was strung up and displayed as a warning to the black community.

As news of the alleged assault upon the white woman spread through neighboring communities over January 2 and 3, several white men from surrounding areas began to travel to Sumner and the Rosewood area to assist in the search for the accused black man. A rumor circulated that members of the Rosewood community were hiding and protecting the accused man. By January 4, 1923, approximately 30 armed white vigilantes had assembled, supposedly to search for the perpetrator of the assault and those that may have assisted him.

They arrived enraged and combed the woods behind the Taylor’s home looking for a suspect. Suspicion soon fell on Jesse Hunter a black man who had allegedly recently escaped from a convict road gang. No proof of the escape was ever provided. Upon arriving at Rosewood during the evening of January 4, 1923, the white posse found a group of African Americans barricaded in one home. Surrounding the house, the white mob riddled it with rifle and shotgun fire. The occupants of the home resisted and at least two white men were killed, while several others were wounded. At least one black occupant of the house was killed. The shooting continued for over an hour. The attack ended when the white vigilantes ran out of ammunition. As these men left Rosewood, they burned one church and several unoccupied houses.

In 1923, the idea that black people had taken up arms against white men was unthinkable in southern white communities. As this news spread, armed white men traveled to Levy County from Gainesville, Starke, and Perry, Florida . By January 5, a group of 200 - 300 angry armed white men had assembled.

Members of this white mob descended on Rosewood before dawn on January 5, 1923. Homes and other buildings were burned as the black community members fled into the neighboring swamp. At least two members of Rosewood community were murdered by white vigilantes on this day. Over the next two days, the homes of all black residents in Rosewood were destroyed, burned to the ground. The actual number of dead and wounded during the entire January 1923 Rosewood massacre is difficult to determine. Estimates of the number of black community members killed range from 6 to 27.

No arrests were ever made for the murders committed in Rosewood, Florida. An all white grand jury was convened in Levy County during February 1923, but it determined that there was insufficient evidence to make any indictments. To this date, not one person has ever been prosecuted for those crimes committed during January 1923, in Rosewood, Florida.

---Michael Buchanan Posted: 03 January 2012

http://www.reasonabledoubt.org/criminallawblog/categories/listings/today-crime-history

1. What first led the residents of Sumner to come to Rosewood? How would you describe the neighbor’s initial reaction the incident? How would you describe their final reaction?

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2. Whom did the residents of Sumner use as a scapegoat? Why would they choose this person?

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3. Give evidence (3) to support that the residents of Sumner acted as a mob/monsters. What was the resolution of this incident?

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Name: ______Period: ______

The Monsters are Due on Maple Street vs. The Mob of 1923

The Monsters are Due on Maple Street / The Rosewood Mob of 1923 / What about these situations is similar?
The
Accusation
The
Scapegoat
and Evidence
Against Them
The
Metamorphoses
of the Crowd
The
Result for
the Community
The Monsters are Due on Maple Street / The Rosewood Mob of 1923 / What about these situations is similar?
The
Accusation / In the teleplay the neighbors accused each other of being monsters. They accused those they considered different. For example, Les Goodman was called “odd,” Tommy was accused for being strange and an outsider. / In 1923 the Rosewood Mob began when a white woman accused a black man of assaulting her. She was assumed to be telling the truth. A group of white men went to Rosewood to find the man. / In both situations the incident is similar in that people were accused of doing something simply because they were different or perceived as different.
The
Scapegoat
and Evidence
Against Them / The neighbors turned one another in to scapegoats or someone to blame even though they were innocent. The evidence they used against each other was not based in fact but in fear. They used a starting car, a porch light, and a ham radio as evidence to suggest certain neighbors were monsters. / Jesse Hunter was the scapegoat. However, there was no proof that he had assaulted the woman. Instead the crowd went off of rumor that he had escaped prison. / In both situations the crowd found a scapegoat to help lessen their fear. The scapegoats were always someone who was thought of as an outsider. The evidence used against the scapegoats was not strong or was not based in fact. The evidence had little to do with the “crime.”
The
Metamorphoses
of the Crowd / The crowd became a violent mob. In the story they march together in a crowd, their voices change from whispers to shouting. They attack their neighbors with rocks. Charlie eventually kills a man out of fear. / The group of men turned into a violent mob and attacked the house for over an hour killing both a black man and several white men in the process. / The crowds in both cases let their fear and prejudice get the better of them. They turned violent because of this fear and did not think logically. Both crowds turned against their neighbors and caused great destruction.
The
Result for
the Community / The community falls apart. They do not trust each other and become their own worst enemy. / The community falls apart. The houses in Rosewood were burned, members of the community were killed, the church was burned down, and a number of people were injured or killed. / The result in both communities was that they were completely ruined and torn apart. When the crowds in both situations let their fear overcome logic and reason the result was destruction and loss of community.