Greenville Texas Racist Lynching of Ted Smith 1908 Real Photo Postcard
The postcard documents the lynching of a Black man identified as "Smith" on July 28, 1908, in Greenville, Texas. This brutal act of racial violence was part of a widespread pattern of extralegal executions targeting African Americans throughout the Jim Crow South, intended to enforce white supremacy and terrorize Black communities. J.Q. Adams, the photographer, captured this event, transforming a public spectacle of violence into a visual record.
The early 20th century witnessed thousands of lynchings in the United States, often perpetrated by mobs with impunity and sometimes attracting large crowds, as depicted here. Postcards like this one served not only as grim mementos for participants and spectators but also as instruments of intimidation, widely circulated to reaffirm racial hierarchies and suppress Black aspirations for equality and justice during a deeply segregated era.
The early 20th century witnessed thousands of lynchings in the United States, often perpetrated by mobs with impunity and sometimes attracting large crowds, as depicted here. Postcards like this one served not only as grim mementos for participants and spectators but also as instruments of intimidation, widely circulated to reaffirm racial hierarchies and suppress Black aspirations for equality and justice during a deeply segregated era.
