In the late nineteenth century, journalist Ida B. Wells-Barnett investigated numerous lynchings across the American South. Her findings challenged the prevailing white narrative that lynchings were spontaneous community responses to criminal acts, particularly sexual assault. Instead, Wells-Barnett demonstrated that racial terror was primarily used to achieve which of the following outcomes?
- Suppress African American economic advancement and maintain white supremacyAnswer
- BPunish individuals when local courts and law enforcement failed to act
- CAvenge victims of physical and sexual violence in rural areas
- DEnforce labor contracts under the sharecropping system
Answer
Suppress African American economic advancement and maintain white supremacy
The correct option is correct because Ida B. Wells-Barnett's investigative reporting proved that lynchings were not spontaneous acts of justice against criminals, but rather a deliberate system of racial terror designed to eliminate economic competition from successful Black entrepreneurs and maintain white supremacy.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Ida B. Wells-Barnett's analysis of the economic motives behind racial terror and lynching
Hints
1
Consider what Ida B. Wells-Barnett discovered about the businesses of the individuals who were lynched, such as the owners of the People's Grocery in Memphis.
Practice More
Review how the NAACP later used statistical publications like 'Thirty Years of Lynching in the United States' to campaign for federal legislation like the Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill.
Estimated Time:45s