Targeting Lynch Victims: Social Marginality or Status Transgressions?

Targeting Lynch Victims: Social marginality or status transgressions?

Introduction

One powerful symbol of postbellum southern racial oppression is lynching. About 90 percent of southern lynch victims were African American. Between the yeas of 1880 and 1930 white only used lynching to subjugate southern blacks politically, socially and economically. While lynching continued after 1930, the numbers of those being lynched reduced and the white domination reduced as well.

Purpose of the research

Where victims targeted because of social marginality or status transgressions? The marginal perspective hypothesis was, compared with the general black male population, lynch victims were (1) less likely to be married and to be enumerated as head of household (2) more likely to be born out-of-state (3) less likely to reside in owned then rented dwellings. The status transgression hypothesis was, compared with the general black male population lynch victims were (1) literate (2) homeowners (3) working in higher status occupations requiring greater skill and (4) enumerate as mulatto rather than as negro or black.

Theories

While it is reasonable to assume that most victims were older adolescents or younger adults, the victim's age is known in only a small proportion of lynching incidents in even fewer cases do we know anything about a victim's family status or socioeconomic standing. The first set of expectations is based heavily on the scholarship of Senechal de la Roche (1996, 1997, 2001), who claims that victims frequently were targeted because of their marginal status within a community. The second set reflects a recurrent theme in the literature on lynching, suggesting that victims were targeted because of their distinctively high levels of human and social capital compared to other blacks within their communities (Bailey 1914; Dray 2003; Tolnay and Beck 1995).

Research Method

A. Sample/subjects- 900 black males lynched in 10 southern states

B. Data collection method- Experiment, collection was entirely online (genealogy website subscription), historic census manuscripts and other historic documents.