Converging to a National Lynching Database: Recent Developments and the Way Forward

Abstract

In tandem with a recent surge in interest in lynching in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, researchers in a number of fields have begun to use lynching data in new ways for a wide range of empirical investigations. A limited number of historical national lynching data series are available, have well-known flaws, and are nonetheless used. This article analyzes and compares these series, summarizes recent efforts to address their shortcomings, and identifies extensions that could aid in the construction a national database of confirmed lynching victims, whose broader applications are just beginning to be explored.