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Lynching and the Excuse for It
Mar 27, 2026 6:17 PM

  

Lynching and the Excuse for It1

  Ida B. Wells-Barnett and Jane Addams In January 1901 anti-lynching crusader Ida B. Wells-Barnett (left) and Hull House founder Jane Addams began a public discourse in the pages of The Independent magazine about the scourge of lynching in the United States. (more) Lynching and the Excuse for It article by Ida B. Wells-Barnett, primary source Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lynching-and-the-Excuse-for-it Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lynching-and-the-Excuse-for-it Written by Mindy Johnston Mindy Spitzer Johnston is Managing Editor at Encyclopædia Britannica. Mindy Johnston Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Sep 27, 2024 • Article History Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot a Question Ask the Chatbot a Question From 1882 to 1968 more than 4,700 Americans were lynched, the overwhelming majority of whom were African Americans. While disproportionally occurring in Southern states, lynching was a national problem. In 1901 Chicagoans Jane Addams and Ida B. Wells-Barnett—both social leaders, activists, and colleagues in the city’s women’s clubs and suffrage movements—began a public discourse in the pages of The Independent magazine about this scourge of mob violence. Addams—white, from an affluent family, founder of Hull House, and a leader in the settlement house movement—wrote her article first. In January she published “Respect for Law,” in which she expanded on an ...(100 of 1786 words)

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