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Difficulty: EasyRacial Terror and the Anti-Lynching Movement

Read the following excerpt from journalist and activist Ida B. Wells-Barnett’s article "Lynch Law in America" (1900):

"Our country's national crime is lynching. It is not the creature of an hour, the sudden outburst of uncontrolled fury, or the unspeakable brutality of an insane mob. It represents the cool, calculating deliberation of intelligent people who openly avow that there is an 'unwritten law' that justifies them in putting human beings to death..."

Based on the excerpt, which of the following statements best describes Ida B. Wells-Barnett's characterization of lynching?

  1. It was a systematic, deliberate practice condoned by society rather than a spontaneous outburst of lawless mobs.Answer
  2. B
    It was a temporary and disorganized phenomenon carried out primarily by uneducated, low-income mobs.
  3. C
    It was a necessary, extralegal form of justice required to protect communities when local courts failed to act.
  4. D
    It was an effective tool used by Southern legal authorities to ensure the swift execution of constitutional law.

Answer

Lynching was a systematic, deliberate practice condoned by society rather than a spontaneous outburst of lawless mobs.
The correct answer explains that Ida B. Wells-Barnett describes lynching as a systematic and deliberate practice ('cool, calculating deliberation of intelligent people') that was widely condoned under an 'unwritten law,' directly challenging the idea that it was merely the work of uncontrolled, spontaneous mobs.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the text for clues about how the author describes the nature and organization of lynching.
The text states that lynching is 'not the creature of an hour' or a 'sudden outburst' but represents 'cool, calculating deliberation of intelligent people' operating under an 'unwritten law.'
This establishes that lynching was planned and socially tolerated, rather than random or disorganized.
2
Evaluate the answer choices to identify the option that matches this characterization.
The statement describing lynching as a systematic and deliberate practice matches the text, while the other options either contradict the text or accept the pretexts that Wells-Barnett opposed.
This confirms the correct option based on historical analysis and reading comprehension.

Key Concept

Ida B. Wells-Barnett's analysis of lynching as a tool of systemic racial terror
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Topics

Racial Terror and the Anti-Lynching Movement

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