Whitecapping

Whitecapping is a phenomenon that occurred specifically in America during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was originally a ritualized form of enforcing community standards, appropriate behavior and traditional rights. [McCormick, Chris and Green, Len, eds. "Crime and Deviance in Canada: Historical Perspectives." 1st ed. Toronto:Canadian Scholars’ Press Inc, 2005. pp 54] However, as it spread throughout North America it took on a distinct racial characteristic.

It started in Indiana around 1873, as white males began forming secret societies in order to attempt to deliver justice independent from the state. These groups were known as the ‘White Caps’. The first White Cap encounters were generally aimed at those who went against a community’s values. Men who neglected or abused their family, people who showed excessive laziness and women who had children out of wedlock are all prime examples of possible targets. [McCormick, Chris and Green, Len, eds. "Crime and Deviance in Canada: Historical Perspectives." 1st ed. Toronto:Canadian Scholars’ Press Inc, 2005. pp 56] As whitecapping spread into the Southern states during the 1890’s the targets became drastically different. In the South, White Cap societies were generally made up of white dirt farmers that intended to control black laborers and prevent merchants from acquiring more land. [Holmes, William. “Whitecapping: Anti-Semitism in the Populist Era.” "American Jewish Historical Quarterly." 63 (1974): 247.] These societies in the South made it their task to attempt to force a person to abandon his home or property. This racial character of whitecapping in the South is thought to have been ignited by the agriculture depression that occurred around the same time. With all of the attention centered on producing cotton, the South’s economy became very unbalanced. Many farmers went into debt and lost their lands to merchants through mortgage foreclosures. [Holmes, William. “Whitecapping: Anti-Semitism in the Populist Era.” American Jewish Historical Quarterly. 63 (1974): 246.] The merchants and their black laborers became quick targets for the dirt farmers who seemed to be losing everything. Racism contributed to the problem as well, prosperous black men in the South always faced resentment that could always be expressed violently. [Painter, Nell. “The Flames of Racial Hatred.” "The Washington Post." 4 Feb 1996, national ed.: X03.]

Despite the different whitecapping targets, the methods used by the White Caps remained somewhat constant. Generally, the members of this society were disguised in insignia that somewhat resembled that of the KKK, and always attacked at night. Physical attacks could include such things as whipping, drowning, firing shots into houses, arson and other brutalities. [Holmes, William. “Whitecapping: Agrarian Violence in Mississippi, 1902 – 1906.” "The Journal of Southern History." 35 (1969):169] The White Caps also used non-violent means of persuasion in order to get certain residents to abandon their homes. These include posting signs on doors of blacks' and merchants' homes, as well as cornering a target and verbally threatening them. The victims of these attacks had little support from the legal authorities until 1893, when the threat of whitecapping began to be taken more seriously. However, even once the courts got involved it took time to completely clear the jury of any White Cap members or sympathizers. Many White Cap societies became dormant by 1894 and the members punished with fines. However, there were still active members of the White Caps that were found and punished in the early 1900’s. [Anon. “For Whitecapping Negress.” "The New York Times." 10 Nov 1903, national ed.:1.]

Over the many years that whitecapping was used, it not only affected individual people, but also the communities and counties as a whole. In the South, whitecapping discouraged many merchants and industrialists from doing business in the counties; it also threatened to drive away all of the black laborers. [Holmes, William. “Whitecapping: Agrarian Violence in Mississippi, 1902 – 1906.” The Journal of Southern History. 35 (1969):177] Clearly, the existence of whitecapping in America had an impact on the way people of the late 19th and early 20th centuries lived their lives.

References

Anon. “For Whitecapping Negress.” "The New York Times." 10 Nov 1903, national ed.:1.

Holmes, William. “Whitecapping: Anti-Semitism in the Populist Era.” "American Jewish Historical Quarterly." 63 (1974): 244 – 261.

Holmes, William. “Whitecapping: Agrarian Violence in Mississippi, 1902 – 1906.” "The Journal of Southern History." 35 (1969): 165 – 185.

McCormick, Chris and Green, Len, eds. "Crime and Deviance in Canada: Historical Perspectives." 1st ed. Toronto: Canadian Scholars’ Press Inc, 2005.

Painter, Nell. “The Flames of Racial Hatred.” "The Washington Post." 4 Feb 1996, national ed.: X03.

External links

* [http://history.missouristate.edu/wrmiller/Populism/texts/Documents/Bibliography/mississippi.htm "Whitecapping in Mississippi: Agrarian Violence in the Populist Era." Mid-America 1973 55(2): 134-148.] Mississippi bibliography
* [http://www.mscode.com/free/statutes/97/003/0087.htm SEC. 97-3-87. Threats and intimidation; whitecapping] MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, As Amended
* [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0022-4642(196905)35%3A2%3C165%3AWAVIM1%3E2.0.CO%3B2-Y Whitecapping: Agrarian Violence in Mississippi, 1902-1906] JSTOR scholarly journals
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9902E7DA1730E233A25753C1A9679D946297D6CF FOR WHITECAPPING NEGRESS.; Fourteen White Men Indicted in a Mississippi Court.] The New York Times, 1903-11-10