East St. Louis massacre
| East St. Louis massacre | |
|---|---|
| Part of the nadir of American race relations | |
1917 political cartoon on the massacre. The caption reads, "Mr. President, why not make America safe for democracy?", referring to President Woodrow Wilson's catch-phrase "The world must be made safe for democracy". | |
| Date | May 28 and July 1–3, 1917 |
| Location | 38°37′20″N 90°09′30″W / 38.62222°N 90.15833°W |
| Caused by | Conflict between Southern African-Americans working at East St. Louis plants and ethnic immigrants from Europe. |
| Methods | African Americans beaten to death, shot, lynched, and driven into burning buildings by whites |
| Casualties | |
| Death(s) | 39–150 Black Americans, 9 white Americans |
The East St. Louis massacre was a series of violent attacks between African Americans and white Americans in East St. Louis, Illinois, between late May and early July of 1917. These attacks also displaced 6,000 African Americans and led to the destruction of approximately $400,000 ($9.82 million in 2024) worth of property. They occurred in East St. Louis, an industrial city on the east bank of the Mississippi River, directly opposite the city of St. Louis, Missouri. The July 1917 episode in particular was marked by violence throughout the city. Fitch says it was the "worst case of labor-related violence in 20th-century American history". It was one of the worst racial riots in U.S. history.
In the aftermath of the rioting, the East St. Louis Chamber of Commerce called for the resignation of the local police chief because officers were ordered not to shoot the white rioters and they were unable to suppress the violence and the destruction as a result. A number of black people left the city permanently; black enrollment in public schools in the area had dropped by 35% by the time schools opened in the fall. At the end of July, some 10,000 black citizens marched in silent protest in New York City in condemnation of the riot.