Mobs lynched Mary Turner on May 17, 1918 in Lowndes County, Georgia because she vowed to have those responsible for killing her husband arrested.
Her husband was arrested in connection with the shooting and killing Hampton Smith, a white farmer for whom the couple had worked, and for wounding his wife. Sidney Johnson. a Black man, apparently killed Smith because he was tired of the farmer’s abuse.
Unable to find Johnson. the killers lynched eight other Blacks Including Hayes Turner and his wife Mary.
The mob hanged Mary by her feet, poured gasoline and oil on her and set fire to her body. One white man sliced her open and Mrs. Turner’s baby tumbled to the ground with a “little cry” and the mob stomped the baby to death and sprayed bullets into Mary Turner. (NAACP: Thirty Years of Lynching in the U.S. 1889-1918 )
On September 17, 1849 Harriet Tubman fled enslavement in Maryland for freedom and dedicated her life to being a conductor on the Underground Railroad. Less known is her role during the Civil War when she led the Union army in the Raid at Combahee Ferry that freed more than 700 people from slavery. This was the only Civil War military operation led by a woman and it was extremely successful. Test your knowledge of other Black Abolitionists here: bit.ly/ZoMw54#ConstitutionDay2014