Lynching and Spectacle: Witnessing Racial Violence in America, 1890-1940 (New Directions in Southern Studies)

Lynch mobs in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century America often exacted horrifying public torture and mutilation on their victims. In Lynching and Spectacle, Amy Wood explains what it meant for white Americans to perform and witness these sadistic spectacles and what they derived from them. Lynching, Wood argues, overlapped with a wide range of cultural practices and performances, both traditional and modern, including public executions, religious rituals, photography, and cinema. The connections between lynching and these practices encouraged the horrific violence committed and gave it social acceptability. Wood expounds on the critical role lynching spectacles played in establishing and affirming white supremacy at the turn of the century, particularly in towns and cities experiencing great social instability and change. She also shows how the national dissemination of lynching images fueled the momentum of the antilynching movement and ultimately led to the decline of lynching. By examining lynching spectacles alongside both traditional and modern practices and within both local and national contexts, Wood reconfigures our understanding of lynching's relationship to modern life. Lynch mobs in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century America exacted horrifying public torture and mutilation on their victims. In Lynching and Spectacle , Amy Wood explains what it meant for white Americans to perform and witness these sadistic spectacles and how lynching played a role in establishing and affirming white supremacy. Lynching, Wood argues, overlapped with a variety of cultural practices and performances, both traditional and modern, including public executions, religious rituals, photography, and cinema, all which encouraged the horrific violence and gave it social acceptability. However, she also shows how the national dissemination of lynching images ultimately fueled the momentum of the antilynching movement and the decline of the practice. Using a wide range of sources, including photos, newspaper reports, pro- and antilynching pamphlets, early films, and local city and church records, Wood reconfigures our understanding of lynching's relationship to modern life. Wood expounds on the critical role lynching spectacles played in establishing and affirming white supremacy at the turn of the century, particularly in towns and cities experiencing great social instability and change. She also shows how the national dissemination of lynching images fueled the momentum of the antilynching movement and ultimately led to the decline of lynching. By examining lynching spectacles alongside both traditional and modern practices and within both local and national contexts, Wood reconfigures our understanding of lynching's relationship to modern life. Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 12 Introduction......Page 18 PART I: SPECTACLE......Page 34 1: They Want to See the Thing Done: Public Executions......Page 36 2: A Hell of Fire upon Earth: Religion......Page 62 PART II: WITNESSING......Page 86 3: The Spectator Has a Picture in His Mind to Remember for a Long Time: Photography......Page 88 4: They Never Witnessed Such a Melodrama: Early Moving Pictures......Page 130 5: With the Roar of Thunder: The Birth of a Nation......Page 164 PART III: BEARING WITNESS......Page 194 6: We Wanted to Be Boosters and Not Knockers: Photography and Antilynching Activism......Page 196 7 Bring Home to America What Mob Violence Really Means: Hollywood's Spectacular Indictment......Page 240 Conclusion......Page 278 Notes......Page 288 Bibliography......Page 336 A......Page 356 B......Page 357 E......Page 358 H......Page 359 L......Page 360 M......Page 361 N......Page 362 R......Page 363 S......Page 364 W......Page 365 Z......Page 366 Contents 8 Acknowledgments 12 Introduction 18 PART I: SPECTACLE 34 1: They Want to See the Thing Done: Public Executions 36 2: A Hell of Fire upon Earth: Religion 62 PART II: WITNESSING 86 3: The Spectator Has a Picture in His Mind to Remember for a Long Time: Photography 88 4: They Never Witnessed Such a Melodrama: Early Moving Pictures 130 5: With the Roar of Thunder: The Birth of a Nation 164 PART III: BEARING WITNESS 194 6: We Wanted to Be Boosters and Not Knockers: Photography and Antilynching Activism 196 7 Bring Home to America What Mob Violence Really Means: Hollywood's Spectacular Indictment 240 Conclusion 278 Notes 288 Bibliography 336 Index 356 A 356 B 357 C 358 D 358 E 358 F 359 G 359 H 359 I 360 J 360 K 360 L 360 M 361 N 362 O 363 P 363 Q 363 R 363 S 364 T 365 U 365 V 365 W 365 Z 366

wood Explains What It Meant For White Americans To Perform And Witness Sadistic Spectacles Of Lynching And How Lynching Played A Role In Establishing And Affirming White Supremacy. She Also Reveals How The National Dissemination Of Lynching Images Ultimately Fueled The Momentum Of The Antilynching Movement And The Decline Of The Practice.

Explains what it meant for white Americans to perform and witness these sadistic spectacles and what they derived from them. This book expounds on the critical role lynching spectacles played in establishing and affirming white supremacy at the turn of the century, particularly in towns and cities experiencing great social instability and change. This study presents public reinforcement of white supremacy. Lynch mobs in late 19th and 20th century America often exacted horrifying public torture and mutilation on their victims. In this book, Amy Wood explains what it meant for white Americans to perform and witness these sadistic spectacles and what they derived from them By examining lynching spectacles alongside both traditional and modern practices and within both local and national contexts, Wood reconfigures our understanding of lynching's relationship to modern life. ;from publisher description