In November of 1864, General Sherman’s Union Army took control of Atlanta and proceeded to destroy much of the city. Later dubbed “the Burning of Atlanta”, this conquest left most of the city in a heap of ashes. Most of the city’s infrastructures were destroyed. Businesses and homes lay in ruin. Many Atlantans found themselves homeless.
Over the next four decades, Atlantans worked diligently to rebuild their beloved city. New infrastructures were put in place. Residential and industrial buildings were rebuilt; and by 1906, the city of Atlanta had reestablished itself as a major industrial and railroad hub.
At this time, Atlanta was also beginning to make progressive strides, as well. Atlanta became a southern mecca for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Atlanta University, Clark College, Morehouse College, Morris Brown College, and Spelman College were all founded in the late 1800s; and by 1906, these colleges were fully operational and providing many southern African Americans with a formal education.
On top of newfound educational opportunities, the African American populace was also seeing increases in Black-Owned businesses and homes. According to Dr. Keith Hollingsworth, by 1906, 498 Black-Owned businesses resided within Atlanta, with 28% of these businesses being located in the Central Business District. A majority of these businesses were grocers, tailors, cobblers, lunchrooms, and barbers, but they also included druggists, dentists, and other skilled professions. One of these businesses was a weekly newspaper, the Atlanta Independent. Between 1903 and 1928, the Atlanta Independent provided the city’s African American community with weekly city news, as well as information and updates about Black-Owned businesses and societal organizations.
With all of these outward progressive changes, one could assume that the city’s populace had also adopted a more progressive ideology. Unfortunately, this was not the case. With most societal changes throughout American History, these societal progressions were merely surface level. Just below the surface, the African American community was still shackled by systematic racism and bigotry. Jim Crow laws ran rampant in the southeast. Segregation was in full effect. Lynching and beatings were happening regularly. False accusations were leading to the imprisonment or deaths of innocent African American men and women.
On September 22, 1906, these surface level social progressions would no longer be able to mask the societal bigotry and hatred that lay beneath. On this afternoon and for four consecutive days, mobs of angry white men and boys terrorized, beat, and killed the African American citizens of Atlanta. This is the story of the Atlanta Race Massacre of 1906.
The Circulation War and “Assaults”
In 1906, there were four major white newspaper companies: the Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta Journal, Atlanta Evening News, and Atlanta Georgian. Like modern journalism companies, these four companies were competing for the most readers (now known as viewers or subscribers).
In 1906, this competition turned into an all-out corporate war, later known as the 1906 Circulation War. During this circulation war, the newspapers began to publish more and more inflammatory articles; most of which were unsubstantiated or completely falsified. Their primary headline of choice: black men assaulting white women.
Headlines like “NEGRO ASSAILANT CLIMBS INTO ROOM WHERE GIRL SLEEPS” (The Atlanta Georgian, September 15, 1906), “WOMAN FIGHTS OFF NEGRO MAN; PUTS HIM TO FLIGHT WITH PISTOL” (The Atlanta Georgian, September 20, 1906), and “BURLY NEGRO ATTACKS WHITE WOMAN BUT IS FIGHTENED OFF” (The Atlanta Georgian, September 22, 1906) began to circulate the city. The white populace instantly believed all of the allegations. They already saw the African American race as less-than, inherently violent, and uneducated. Women started to fear going outside. Men were angry and wanted vengeance. All feared who would be next.
On the other hand, the African American populace was skeptical of the allegations. The Indianapolis based newspaper, The Freeman: A National Illustrated Colored Newspaper, stated on September 29, 1906, “We do not believe that the Negroes have perpetrated all the assaults upon women chronicled by the Associated Press, and advertised in flaming headlines by the local newspapers; it is common talk that white men, blacked up as Negroes, have been caught ‘redhanded,’ as it were, but have escaped the consequences of their foul acts because they were white, and the blame has been saddled wholly upon the blacks, good and bad suffering alike from the awful reputation thus given the race.”
Another Black-Owned newspaper from Wichita, The Wichita Searchlight, reported on September 29, 1906, “…the only accounts are reports from southern white papers, and the large number alleged and the short space of time and the close proximity of each raises in the mind of the fair thinker serious doubt whether any assaults at all were committed and if there were any, was the assailant a black man or a white man self-made black just for this occasion. Burnt cork proves a great advantage to the white man and is a great detriment to the black man, especially in the annals of crime.”
Even though these articles were published after the Atlanta Race Massacre, it is clear that the African American community, across the nation, was skeptical of the crime allegations. The community understood that crimes occasionally occurred within their community, but these allegations were too overexaggerated to be easily believed. They also knew there was a growing problem of black face being utilized to frame innocent African Americans. This led to the death or brutalization of many innocent African Americans, during this era.
Unfortunately, the African American skepticism would not deter the escalation of racial tension and “negrophobia” that brewed within the white populace. They believed the fear-mongering allegations whole-heartedly. White women believed they were next to be targeted. White men and boys believed they needed to avenge their women. This “vengeance” didn’t just stop at the alleged perpetrators but instead was directed towards an entire race.
The Atlanta Race Massacre
On September 22, 1906, following newspaper reports of four alleged assaults, a violent white mob took to the streets of Atlanta to terrorize, beat, and kill any African Americans that were near. The mob was made up of thousands of white men and boys, who were armed with a variety of weapons.
Soon, black-owned businesses were being destroyed. One of the businesses that was raided and destroyed was a barbershop, where the barber was still inside. Once the mob found the barber, he was beaten and killed. Another barbershop, across the street, was also raided and destroyed. This barbershop was owned by Black Community Leader, Alonzo Herndon. Luckily for Mr. Herndon, he was already home by the time the mob broke out.
Others were not so lucky, dozens of Black Atlantans were ultimately killed. Many more were brutalized and tortured. The mob targeted anyone and everyone that came in their path. If you were not white, you were their target.
The mob not only attacked African Americans that were in open areas; they also searched streetcars, trolleys, and black spaces for any hidden African Americans. Anyone who was found was subsequently beaten, mutilated, or killed.
On September 24, 1906, the Minneapolis Journal republished an article, written by John Temple Graves of the Atlanta Georgian, that stated: “Old and young negros, negroes good and bad, innocent and guilty, were cut and slashed and killed. To every plea for mercy was shouted back the fierce response: ‘you had no mercy on our women, and we will have none on you.’”
With the mob’s extreme size and uncontrollable violence, the state militia had to be called in to deescalate the situation. The militia, with the help of local police, took control of the city streets and dispersed the mob. Several arrests were made in connection with the mob.
This militia may have simmered the tempers of the mob, but it didn’t ease the worries of the African American community. Within the community fear of a secondary mob lingered. As a result, the community began to secretly arm itself. On September 23, 1906, their fears were validated. Several white vigilante groups began to comb through the city looking for armed African Americans. This ultimately led to the death of Zeb Long, an African American who was suspected of possessing a gun. The mob arrested and lynched him, as a result.
The following day, September 24th, another group of vigilantes and police would invade the community of Brownville in search for armed African Americans, resulting in a gun fight. Ultimately, three people lost their lives during the invasion, including a white police officer and a 70-year-old African American Union veteran. Later, police shot and killed two men trying to escape police custody.
The violence didn’t stop on September 24th, but continued into September 25th, as well. On this day, two more African American men were killed in a gun fight with police.
By September 26th, the violence had finally been stopped and meetings were being held between the races to negotiate a resolution. The white elites ultimately put the blame of the massacre on “lawless” African Americans and low-class whites. It wouldn’t be until later, that the blame would lie solely on the white mob. Unfortunately, no real justice was ever served for the atrocities that happened.
The Victims
We do not know the exact number of victims that were killed or injured, as a result of the days-long massacre. Although some of victims’ bodies were identified and properly buried, many of the victims were never identified. It is estimated that at least 25 African Americans died, as a result of the massacre.
According to the Fulton Remembrance Project, the following is a list of all of the identified victims of the Atlanta Race Massacre of 1906.
Marshall Carter (13, Student) suffered a fractured skull and was rushed to Grady Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. He is laid to rest at South-View Cemetery.
Stinson Ferguson (25) suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen and was rushed to Grady Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. He is laid to rest at South-View Cemetery.
William Welch (30, Local Barber) suffered a gunshot wound and was left to die near Grady Hospital.
Frank Smith (African American Western Union Messenger) was brutally stabbed and stoned before being thrown over a bridge.
Leola Maddox was stabbed while out shopping with her husband. She succumbed to her injuries. Her husband was severely beaten but survived.
Will Marion was shot and killed in downtown Atlanta.
Annie Shepard (Launderer) was shot in the chest while presumably walking to or from work and later succumbed to her injuries.
Milton Brown (22, Laborer for Stocks Coal Company) While walking home, he was shot three times, while police watched. He succumbed to his injuries, while waiting for an ambulance to arrive.
Zeb Long (Laborer) was arrested on September 23rd for “incendiary talk”. On September 24th, he was abducted from the jail by a white mob and lynched.
Sam Magruder was shot multiple times while attempting to flee the mob. He was taken to Grady Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries the next morning.
Clem Rhodes was shot and killed in South Atlanta.
Frank Fambro (38, Grocer) was shot and lynched at his grocery store, during the white mob’s invasion of Brownsville.
George Wilder (70, Union Veteran) was lynched in a shed, during the white mob’s invasion of Brownsville.
Will Moreland was shot and lynched by Atlanta City Police.
James Fletcher (17, Student) was shot and lynched by Atlanta City Police.
Sam Robinson (Carpenter) shot and killed by soldiers while on his way to work.
11 African American lynching victims were never identified.
James Heard (30, Police Officer) shot and killed in shootout in Brownsville.
Mrs. Thompson (33) had a heart attack and died, after witnessing the murder of two African Americans.
Further Information:
Fulton Remembrance Project’s Article on the Atlanta Race Massacre: https://www.fultonremembrance.org/remembrance-project/1906Narrative
National Center for Civil and Human Rights’ Article on the Atlanta Race Massacre: https://www.civilandhumanrights.org/the-1906-atlanta-race-massacre/
Dr. Keith Hollingsworth’s Article on Black Business Response to the Atlanta Race Massacre: https://atlantastudies.org/2025/05/27/perseverance-black-business-response-to-the-atlanta-race-massacre/
New Georgia Encyclopedia Article on Atlanta Race Massacre of 1906: https://atlantastudies.org/2025/05/27/perseverance-black-business-response-to-the-atlanta-race-massacre/
WABE’s Article on the Atlanta Race Massacre (Includes Walking Tour): https://www.wabe.org/1906/
Image Credits:
Atlanta Race Massacre Illustration (Cover of “Le Petit Journal”, October 7, 1906): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1906_Atlanta_race_massacre#/media/File:Le_Petit_Journal_7_Oct_1906_(cropped).jpg
The Atlanta Georgian (September 22, 1906): https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn89053730/1906-09-22/ed-3/seq-1/
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Still to this day I enjoy reading every post that is uploaded on here. I would not have been able to learn about the development, flourishment and the destruction of the city of Atlanta thoroughly if it wasn’t for you doing this. I lived in Atlanta for 11 years and grew up in Georgia and wasn’t taught about this important part of history in the city I call home. Thanks for doing these and looking forward to more.