At the end of the Civil War, formerly enslaved people flocked to the city of Cairo,
At the end of the Civil War, formerly enslaved people flocked to the city of Cairo,
Illinois, where the booming steamboat and railroad industries promised jobs and newfound opportunities. However, many of the town's white residents weren't happy about their new neighbors — and decades of racial tension commenced. By the early 20th century, things came to a head. In 1909, 10,000 people gathered to watch the lynching of William "Froggie" James, a Black man who was accused of murdering a white woman despite no evidence connecting him to the crime.
Illinois, where the booming steamboat and railroad industries promised jobs and newfound opportunities. However, many of the town's white residents weren't happy about their new neighbors — and decades of racial tension commenced. By the early 20th century, things came to a head. In 1909, 10,000 people gathered to watch the lynching of William "Froggie" James, a Black man who was accused of murdering a white woman despite no evidence connecting him to the crime.
The crowd shot James more than 500 times, cheered as a man cut off his head and displayed it on a pike, set his body on fire, and even cut off his ears and fingers as macabre "souvenirs." Then, in 1967, a 19-year-old Black soldier named Robert Hunt who was home on leave was found hanged in Cairo's police station, sparking riots that the National Guard was called in to quell. Hundreds of the town's white residents then formed a militia called the "White Hats" as a guise to keep the community safe as they targeted Black citizens. This, paired with the downturn of the city's industry, led most people to flee Cairo, and today it's nothing more than a ghost town.
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