Largest Murder Trial in the History of the United States
Item
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Title
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Largest Murder Trial in the History of the United States
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Description
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In 1917, the all-Black 24th Infantry Regiment was transferred to Camp Logan in Houston, Texas. Their presence was not welcomed as armed Black soldiers were often deemed a threat to the white supremacist social order enforced by Jim Crow. To assuage the white locals and police, the highly decorated battalion was assigned the lowly task of guard duty and their guns were confiscated when not on call. However, tensions remained between the soldiers and the Houston police, who had a reputation of harassing the city’s Black community. Problems came to a head on August 23, 1917 after a particularly egregious case of police brutality in which an officer and corporal of the 24th were assaulted and arrested by the Houston police. Tired of the disrespect and unwilling to endure any more racist violence, the 24th reclaimed their guns and a large riot ensued. Four soldiers and fifteen white people were killed. As seen in the photograph, the government placed all of the blame on the 24th, resulting in the largest murder trial and biggest court martial in United States history. In the end, 19 Black soldiers were executed and 54 were sentenced to life in prison.
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Publisher
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U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
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Type
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Photograph
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Format
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Digital format (jpg)
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Subject
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Houston Riot; Camp Logan Mutiny; 24th Infantry Regiment; Soldiers; Police; Segregation; Race Riot; Race Relations; World War I
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Place
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Houston, Texas
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Temporal Coverage
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August 23, 1917
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Rights
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Public Domain
Houston Riot_NARA.jpg
Race and the Second Amendment