Lynching in America / Lynching in Bulloch County

Marker Text: From 1886 to 1911, white mobs lynched at least nine Black people in Bulloch County. Suspicion alone-even in the absence of evidence or due process-caused many white people to presume a Black person’s guilt. On July 15, 1886, a white mob abducted Jake Braswell following the alleged assault of a white girl and forced him to choose between being burned alive or hanged. They then tied him to a tree and riddled his body with bullets. On April 11, 1901, Kennedy Gordon died after being shot repeatedly by a white mob that seized from a constable, who had arrested Mr. Gordon after reports of an attempted assault. On August 16, 1904, a white mob of at least 100 abducted Will Cato and Paul Reed from the courthouse, marched them to woods a mile north of here, and burned them alive. Hours later, white mobs lynched Albert Roberts in his home along with at least one other unidentified Black man. Five white men took Sebastian McBride from his home 10 days later, severely whipped him and shot him to death. On February 17, 1908, Thompson Gilbert was shot to death after being falsely accused of assaulting a white woman. In fact, Mr. Gilbert had been called by the woman’s husband to treat her illness, but she screamed at the sight of a Black man in her home. On April 21, 1911, a white mob hanged Henry Jackson and riddled his body with bullets after its leader alleged Mr. Jackson had threatened his wife. No one was ever held accountable for these lynchings.