During her 1893 and 1894 anti-lynching tours in Great Britain, Ida B. Wells-Barnett focused heavily on rallying British public opinion and promoting potential boycotts of American cotton. Which of the following best explains how this international strategy aligned with her analysis of racial terror in the American South?
- It targeted the financial interests of Southern cotton producers, leveraging global economic pressure to force Southern leaders to intervene against racial violence.Answer
- BIt aimed to address the spike in violent crimes committed by African Americans, which Southern officials claimed made lynchings a regrettable but necessary form of public safety.
- CIt was designed to raise capital to fund the mass migration of Southern Black families to West Africa, which she argued was the only way to escape racial violence.
- DIt attempted to show that de facto segregation in Northern US cities was the primary driver of Southern lynchings, thereby shifting the focus away from Southern laws.
Answer
It targeted the financial interests of Southern cotton producers, leveraging global economic pressure to force Southern leaders to intervene against racial violence.
The correct option is correct because Ida B. Wells-Barnett recognized that the Southern economy was heavily dependent on the cotton trade with Great Britain. By appealing to the British public and raising the prospect of cotton boycotts, she sought to leverage global economic pressure to compel Southern business and political leaders to intervene and stop the lawlessness of lynch mobs.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Racial Terror and the Anti-Lynching Movement