Introduction
The greatest election-related massacre of the 20th century took place in the town of Ocoee, Florida, on November 2-3, 1920. The violence claimed the lives of around fifty Black people and two White people, and the Black population of Ocoee as a whole was compelled to leave the area. Conservative Democrats had controlled Ocoee, Florida, in Orange County, about 12 miles northwest of Orlando, politically ever since Reconstruction ended. At the time, they took great satisfaction in keeping Black voters out of the polls (Nick, 2024). Numerous Black groups in Florida started running voter registration drives in 1920. Mose Norman, a successful Black farmer who participated in the Orange County voter registration campaign, chose to cast a ballot in the national election on November 2 due to their efforts. He was denied access to the polls twice when he tried to do so.
Following Norman’s second drive-away, a group of about 100 white males made up of the mob went to find him. They hurried to Julius Perry’s house, a fellow Black inhabitant of the area, believing he had sought sanctuary there, to apprehend both men. Perry protected his house by shooting two white males who attempted to enter via the rear door: Elmer McDaniels and Leo Borgard (Nick, 2024). Norman managed to flee and was never heard from again. The crowd demanded that Orange County and Orlando send more troops. Perry was eventually apprehended and slain, and his corpse was hanging from a phone pole along the Ocoee to Orlando interstate to scare off other prospective Black voters (Momodu, 2020). During the assault on the Perry residence, Estelle Perry, Perry’s wife, and their daughter suffered injuries. It was local law police who sent them to Tampa. The mob then targeted the Ocoee Black community. They ordered the Black people of Ocoee to evacuate after setting houses and businesses on fire. The whole African American community left the town as a result of the danger of violence. Black residents of the community conjectured that the riots could have been orchestrated to allow white people to take the wealthiest Black residents’ property (Momodu, 2020). The Ocoee Massacre’s prelude, course, and aftermath, as well as its effects on the African American community in Florida, will all be covered in this essay.
Literature Review
Prior studies have clarified the political and racial dynamics of the Ocoee Massacre era. Scholars have examined the socioeconomic factors and history of African American migration to Florida that contributed to the growth of the Black community in Ocoee. In addition, they have looked at the importance of the 1920 presidential election, the legal voting rights that Black people and women have been allowed, and the reasons for the violent response against African American politicians. There have been several academic studies and historical descriptions of the 1920 Ocoee Massacre. Colburn and Landers’ (2018) works are among the most extensive and ancient. The political and social context of the period and the roles played by local authorities and law enforcement are all included in the writers’ thorough analysis of the events before and after the massacre. Colburn and Landers point out that throughout the early 20th century, racial violence and intimidation in the South were part of a larger pattern, which included the Ocoee Massacre. They contend that long-standing racial tensions and African Americans’ lack of political rights in the area were the cause of the massacre rather than an isolated occurrence. The massacre has been analyzed by the writers in the larger context of early 20th-century racial violence and disenfranchisement in the South.
In “A Perfect Storm: The Ocoee Riot of 1920,” Hoffman et al. (2014) emphasize the Ku Klux Klan’s responsibility for the violence and intimidation that typified the area. The repercussions of the massacre on the African American community in Ocoee and beyond is examined in Ortiz’s (2005) book “Emancipation Betrayed: The Hidden History of Black organizing and white violence in Florida from Reconstruction to the Bloody Election of 1920”. He contends that the African American community’s political influence and engagement in the area were almost decimated by the violence and intimidation that followed the tragedy. The literature on the Ocoee Massacre, taken as a whole, emphasizes the pervasive violence and prejudice that defined the South in the early 20th century. The incident is a sobering reminder of the continuous fight in America for racial fairness and equality.
Findings
African Americans’ effort to use their legal right to vote in the 1920 presidential election set up the Ocoee Massacre. The Ocoee Black community had become more numerous and prosperous, endangering the local white supremacist system and power structures. Driven by racial bias and a need to hold onto power, white inhabitants planned and carried out a campaign of intimidation and violence against Black voters (Armstead, 2001). African Americans experienced animosity, physical assaults, and threats on voting day. While some people were physically punished for casting a ballot, others were urged to do so and were forcefully removed from polling places. As night fell, the violence intensified, with mobs attacking African American citizens’ homes and places of commerce (Momodu, 2020). This resulted in the lynching of well-known Ocoee community leader and African American landowner Julius “July” Perry. The tragedy had terrible repercussions for the African American community. Numerous Black citizens were compelled to leave their homes, leaving behind their possessions and means of subsistence. The incident shocked the country and brought attention to the ongoing racism and voter suppression strategies that African Americans had to deal with in their fight for civil rights.
Historical research results provide insight into the events that preceded, took place during, and affected the African American community. There were around 800 persons living in Ocoee at the time of the massacre, of whom 25% were African Americans (Ortiz, 2010). Many African Americans in Ocoee’s African American community had their own houses and businesses, demonstrating the neighborhood’s affluence. However, because of the prevalent Jim Crow laws, segregation, and voter suppression strategies, they faced substantial obstacles to engaging in politics.
African Americans in Ocoee chose to use their right to vote in the presidential election of 1920, which pitted Democratic Governor James M. Cox against Republican Senator Warren G. Harding on November 2. Their white neighbors reacted violently and with hostility to their political activity. According to reports, a white mob attacked the African American neighborhood in Ocoee, destroying houses and businesses and viciously attacking and murdering African Americans (Ortiz, 2010). Although the precise number of victims is still unclear, estimations put the amount between thirty and sixty. The massacre’s aftermath greatly impacted the Ocoee African American community. Many families were compelled to leave behind their belongings and means of subsistence when they fled their homes (Hoffman et al., 2014). After the tragedy, the survivors had to reconstruct their lives due to constant threats and harassment from their white neighbors.
In addition, the Ocoee Massacre affected the African American community in Florida and the nation at large. It served as a sobering reminder of the perils encountered by those attempting to assert their political rights and the brittleness of advancements made in civil rights. The deep-rooted prejudice and brutality that defined the South at the time were reflected in the violent repression of African American political engagement in Ocoee (Jackson & Elliott, 2016). The results of historical studies about the Ocoee Massacre underscore the need to uphold and safeguard civil rights. Even while there has been improvement since that terrible incident, it serves as a sobering reminder that institutional racism and obstacles to political engagement persist. The Ocoee Massacre highlights the continuous fight for racial justice and equality and is still a painful episode in American history.
Conclusions and Discussion
The horrific and terrible Ocoee Massacre of 1920 serves as a constant reminder of the pervasive bigotry and brutality that defined the South in the early 20th century. The historical study results on this incident provide insight into the events that preceded, occurred during, and affected the African American community in Ocoee and beyond. Political and social inequality surrounded the killing, making it difficult for African Americans to exercise their right to vote. Notwithstanding these obstacles, Ocoee’s African American population continued to be politically active and tried to participate in the democratic process by voting in the presidential election. Nevertheless, their white neighbors violently opposed their efforts.
Some white Americans went to great efforts to hold onto their privilege and power, as seen by the massacre’s brutality, which included the slaughter of African American citizens and the damage of houses and businesses. Although the precise number of victims is yet unclear, the estimations point to a substantial death toll. The African American community in Ocoee was severely damaged in the wake of the Ocoee Massacre. Many families were compelled to leave behind their belongings and means of subsistence when they fled their homes. After the tragedy, the survivors had to reconstruct their lives due to constant threats and harassment from their white neighbors.
In addition, the Ocoee Massacre affected the African American community in Florida and the nation at large. It served as a sobering reminder of the perils encountered by those attempting to assert their political rights and the brittleness of advancements made in civil rights. The violent repression of African Americans’ right to vote in Ocoee served as a symbol of the widespread violence and bigotry that afflicted the South at the time. The Ocoee Massacre serves as a reminder of how crucial it is to uphold and preserve civil rights. Even if there has been progress in the decades after the massacre, it is evident that systematic racism has to be addressed in order to guarantee that all Americans have equal access to political representation and participation. The Ocoee Massacre should serve as a reminder that there is still work to be done in the battle for racial justice and equality.
To sum up, the Ocoee Massacre of 1920 was a horrific incident that affected the African American community in Ocoee and beyond for a long time. It emphasizes how important it is to keep up the fight against systematic racism and make sure that everyone has equal access to political rights. To go ahead and build a more inclusive and fair society, it is essential to remember and comprehend the events of the Ocoee Massacre.
References
Armstead, C. L. (2001). Memorializing Racist Massacres. Feminism and Antiracism: International Struggles for Justice, p. 313.
Colburn, D., & Landers, J. (2018). The African American Heritage of Florida. University Press of Florida.
Hoffmann, C., Hoffman, C., & Strom, C. (2014). A perfect storm: the Ocoee riot of 1920. The Florida Historical Quarterly, 93(1), 25-43.
Jackson, D. H., & Elliott, K. M. (2016). African Americans in Florida, 1870-1920: A Historiographical Essay. The Florida Historical Quarterly, 95(2), 152–193. https://www.jstor.org/stable/44955672
Momodu, S. (2020). The Ocoee Massacre (1920). BlackPast.org. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/the-ocoee-massacre-1920/
Nick, T. (2024). Ocoee massacre of 1920. Massacre, Florida, United States. https://www.britannica.com/event/Ocoee-massacre-of-1920
Ortiz, P. (2010). Ocoee, Florida: Remembering ‘the Single Bloodiest Day’ in Modern US Political History. Facing South.
Ortiz, P. (2005). Emancipation Betrayed: The hidden history of black organizing and white violence in Florida from Reconstruction to the bloody Election of 1920 (Vol. 16). Univ of California Press.
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