The Wilmington Insurrection of 1898
"The Wilmington Insurrection of 1898 was not just a violent coup; it was a calculated attack on democracy, where racism and political power intertwined to lay the groundwork for Jim Crow, ensuring that the specter of white supremacy would haunt American politics for generations."
The Wilmington Insurrection of 1898, also known as the Wilmington Massacre, was a violent coup orchestrated by white supremacists in Wilmington, North Carolina, which resulted in the overthrow of a legitimately elected biracial Fusionist government, the massacre of numerous Black citizens, and the disenfranchisement of the African American community. The event’s immediate and long-term impacts reverberated through the social, political, and economic fabric of North Carolina and the broader United States, significantly affecting minority political involvement for decades to come.
