LA LA - Thibodaux Massacre: Up to 300 victims, Nov 1887

[bookboarder]

Like most folks around here, I'd never heard the story of the Thibodaux massacre before a very close family friend [more family than friend]. It is a horrific, dark secret hidden by time, overshadowed by hurricanes and other tragic events that have occurred in Louisiana.

I wanted to reach out to our awesome Websleuths community about this very important piece of unsolved and unknown history. If anyone can help find more information and clues about this case, it's this community of talented sleuthers.

I let him know about Websleuths and he’s very interested in joining and participating with regards to the case researched in his book. He’s a great writer; has more than one Pulitzer prize and an even greater friend and a victim’s advocate long after they’ve been forgotten.

Anyway, the book is called “The Thibodaux Massacre” and it is about a massacre of up to 300 African-American plantation workers who were slaughtered with their families in the late 1800s. The crime lasted over 3 hours and the assassins were actually law enforcement. They killed these workers for being on a labor strike due to the conditions and low pay on the sugar plantations. They murdered whole families who were peacefully with their loved ones. They went into homes and brutally murdered these people. Even shooting people hiding under houses.


eta: My MIL mentioned 300 dead but John says his estimates are between 30-60 deaths. He does say there are claims of up to 300 murdered in this crime but they cannot be substantiated by hard evidence at this time.

The mystery has been vaguely whispered about and covered up for many years in the region. I never knew of it until John wrote the book. He investigated the case himself and via the records of one veteran black man’s pension from the civil war [fighting with the union for his freedom] and was able to unearth the startling and disturbing details of this case previously hidden in the shadows.

The mystery is now giving these innocent victims of this terrifying crime names and…. Finding where they were buried. A far as he was able to find, the bodies of the victims were dumped in a mass grave which now sits under the Thibodaux, LA VFW Hall. This site is suspected after John’s tireless research and efforts. They are currently trying to raise money to have ground penetrating radar used to check the site as it is quite costly.

This case needs to be known and recognized as a tragic part of our past. It is one of the most horrific crimes in our country’s history and demands attention. In fact, I believe that this should be taught in school as a part of history throughout the country. What my friend has uncovered through firsthand research with original documentation is an absolutely stunning and grotesque tale of horror.

We owe these victims to at least hear their story so that they can regain their humanity.

My friend’s website is http://www.johndesantis.org
Twitter ishttps://twitter.com/bayouscribe
FB ishttps://www.facebook.com/desantis.john

He writes for the newspaper here and has actually written several articles about our family-- apparently he finds us intriguing. He’s always with us for the holidays and he’s an even greater friend than storyteller [which is saying quite a lot!]. We actually consider him family. My husband has known him since his teens [he’s 41 now] and I’ve known him over 10 years.

 

[Tulessa]

Thank you so very much BB for starting this thread! The United States has committed Genocide on more than one occasion. I had actually heard of the Thibodaux massacre, from researching my own people, The Cherokee. Yes, it was horrific, and yes it was a dark time in our history, but so many of these actions have been swept under the rugs, in the hopes that people will forget. I cannot, and will not forget what happened to my people. I will mention the Cherokee only this time, because I feel it also is a dark time in this country's history. Here is an article concerning the genocide of the Cherokee. I look forward to discussing the Thibodaux massacre, and I look forward to meeting your friend. Again, thank you for starting this thread.

http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/36257-yes-native-americans-were-the-victims-of-genocide

 

[sloane7777]

I too thank you for this thread there are several mass grave sites here in Texas with 5-20 people reportedly buried here for similar reasons even as late as the 1920S , one is in Coppell , people would rather not rehash these things but I agree w/ Tulessa its an important part of History and those who forget are doomed to repeat .....

 

[bookboarder]

Thanks all for your interest. I am certain that John may be able to provide further insight when he gets to this thread but yes, it was a virtual genocide. A horrific slaughter of innocents. The Native American community also suffered gravely at the hands of people sworn to uphold the law of the land---instead they killed with impunity and it's another part of history that also needs to be remembered.

Thanks for joining in this discussion! I hope we'll be able to raise awareness by having this "secret" out of the box. I think it would be amazing if this story was more well-covered and John's documentation and research definitely make everything more clear. Hopefully the victim can be found and their descendants know that there are people who care and that their relatives lives mattered.

 

[folieadeuxnola]

Thank you so very much BB for starting this thread! The United States has committed Genocide on more than one occasion. I had actually heard of the Thibodaux massacre, from researching my own people, The Cherokee. Yes, it was horrific, and yes it was a dark time in our history, but so many of these actions have been swept under the rugs, in the hopes that people will forget. I cannot, and will not forget what happened to my people. I will mention the Cherokee only this time, because I feel it also is a dark time in this country's history. Here is an article concerning the genocide of the Cherokee. I look forward to discussing the Thibodaux massacre, and I look forward to meeting your friend. Again, thank you for starting this thread.

http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/36257-yes-native-americans-were-the-victims-of-genocide

Very intrigued with this story, have never heard of it and know the area extremely well .... the closest prominent tribe is Houma another is Chitimacha however there now land reservation is @ 40-50 miles to the west.

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

Thibodaux massacre recounted in book

http://www.theadvertiser.com/story/life/2016/11/22/thibodaux-massacre-recounted-book/94290900/

The Thibodaux Massacre, which took place on or about November 22, 1887, resulted from a three-week strike in the sugar-producing region of Lafourche, Terrebonne, St. Mary, and Iberia parishes. This confrontation is known as the second bloodiest labor dispute in U.S. history, although the actual number of fatalities remains uncertain. What began as a disagreement over wages became an expression of racial tensions that had been building since the dissolution of slavery. When the bloodshed ended, at least thirty-five and as many as three hundred African American workers had been killed at the hands of local white vigilantes.

http://www.knowla.org/entry/740/

 

[John DeSantis]

Hi I am John DeSantis, author of The Thibodaux Masdacre: Racial Violence and the 1887 Sugar Cane Labor Strike. I look forward to answering questions and accepting comments anyone may have on the book or on the event. Thank you for your interest!

 

[bookboarder]

:welcome:

John! It's great to see you here. I'm so glad to be able to discuss this with you. BTW I got my autographed copy in the mail today. I can return Cory his copy now. I'm a little over halfway through.

 

[bookboarder]

http://www.alipac.us/f19/25-bloodiest-most-disastrous-massacres-united-states-history-301773/

From Houma Today:

Another of his books:

For the Color of His Skin
Author: John DeSantis
Publisher: Pharos Books
Cost: $18.95
-- The murder of Yusuf Hawkins and the Bensonhurst trial.

 

[bookboarder]

From Louisiana Book News:
On Nov. 23, 1887, white vigilantes angered by striking sugar cane workers gunned down black men and women in their homes and on the streets of Thibodaux for more than two hours. This horrific tragedy that turned into an ugly secret few would later speak of is the basis of John DeSantis’ book, “The Thibodaux Massacre: Racial Violence and the 1887 Sugar Cane Labor Strike.” The number of those killed has never been known — an inquest report filed by the parish coroner stated eight victims — but DeSantis believes the number could have been as high as 60. Some of the victims included two elderly people, one a woman. Even the bodies of the slain are unaccounted for, some believed to have been buried in unmarked graves. The event forced an exodus of African Americans from the city. DeSantis offers Louisiana history of slavery, sugar cane production and the Civil War aftermath to give readers an idea of the environment and moods of white citizens reacting to striking workers. But the most chilling part of the book is his recollection of a journalist asking black Thibodaux residents if they had recalled the event and all but one, an elderly woman, did not. Even in this day and age, the older resident refused to speak of the massacre in fear of retaliation. DeSantis is the senior staff writer at the Times of Houma and a former city editor at the Thibodaux Daily Comet. His other books include “For the Color of His Skin: The Murder of Yusuf Hawkins and The Trial of Bensonhurst” and “The New Untouchables: How America Sanctions Police Violence.” He will discuss and sign “The Thibodaux Massacre” at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Octavia Books of New Orleans.

 

[bookboarder]

:bump:

Just bumping this topic due to its significance and virtual anonymity in US History.

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

Thibodaux Massacre victims to be commemorated 130 years after they were killed: report

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/11/thibodaux_massacre.html

More than a century after armed white mobs shot at least 30 black people in what came to be known as the Thibodaux Massacre, the Lafourche Parish Council plans Tuesday evening (Nov. 14) to honor the victims and their families, the Daily Comet reports. Councilman Jerry Jones also wants Lafourche residents to hold a moment of silence for the victims on Nov. 23, the 130th anniversary of the massacre.

Lafourche to honor families, victims of Thibodaux Massacre

http://www.dailycomet.com/news/20171110/lafourche-to-honor-families-victims-of-thibodaux-massacre

“I’m introducing the proclamation and giving it to the families of the victims as an apology from the parish for what happened back in the 1800s,” Jones said. “I’m also requesting a moment of silence on Nov. 23 as a way to honor the families and those who lost their lives. This kind of stuff doesn’t happen today, but we need to remember it so it doesn’t happen again.”

 

[imstilla.grandma]

https://brooklyneagle.com/articles/2019/08/23/yusuf-hawkins-murder/

 

[sloane7777]

I just saw this and I have never heard of this Despite being from Arkansas an being a history buff..SMH this is from WIKI

Elaine Race Riot

The Elaine massacre began on September 30–October 1, 1919 at Hoop Spur in the vicinity of Elaine in rural Phillips County, Arkansas. An estimated 100 to 237 black people were killed, along with five white men. According to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, "the Elaine Massacre was by far the deadliest racial confrontation in Arkansas history and possibly the bloodiest racial conflict in the history of the United States"..