On May 1, 1866, a minor exchange between white Memphis city police and a group of black Union soldiers quickly escalated into murder and mayhem.
By May 3, at least forty-six African American men, women, an.
For three days, a mob of white men roamed through South Memphis, leaving a trail of blood, rubble, and terror in their wake.
Changes wrought by the Civil War and African American emancipation sent long-standing racial, economic, cultural, class, and gender tensions rocketing to new heights.
On May 1, 1866, a minor exchange between white Memphis city police and a group of black Union soldiers quickly escalated into murder and mayhem