Mass Legal Executions of Blacks in the United States, 17th-20th Centuries

Abstract

Throughout history, governments have sometimes executed persons in groups for the same offense. The United States has done less of it than most, with or without due process. But although never numerous, a look at an unstudied aspect of both multiple homicide and capital punishment showed the occurrence of posttrial mass executions—four or more persons for the same incident—interesting for what they tell about the social climate of the eras in which they occurred, particularly regarding the place of Blacks in society. Before the end of slavery, more than half of the mass legal executions were of Blacks, generally for slave revolts. After that, Blacks were still disproportionately involved relative to population, accounting for one third of those executed. Counting mass lynchings would probably raise the percentage toward that in the pre-1866 era and to the percentage of Blacks legally executed overall.