Two of the worst massacres took place in Louisiana, in the towns of
Opelousas and Colfax
In the Opelousas Massacre, How did the meeting between African American Republicans and armed white Democrats turn out?
the event ended peacefully
As a result of the violence in Opelousas, how many Republicans voted in the presidential election of 1868?
not a single Republican vote was cast
What year was the Colfax Massacre?
1873
What year did the Opelousas Massacre take place in?
1868
In the Opelousas Massacre, What caused a white mob to attack the editor at a Methodist Church?
the white editor published an editorial criticizing the Democrats
What holiday, day, and year did a mob armed with rifles and a cannon surround the parish courthouse in Colfax, LA?
Easter Sunday 1873
5 years later and 90 miles away
The Opelousas riot grew from a seemingly minor incident involving a
newspaper editorial
How many weeks did the rampage last in the Opelousas Massacre?
2 weeks
What was the rioters purpose in the Opelousas Massacre?
crush the Republican presence in the parish
What did the mob in Colfax demand that African American Republican officials do?
leave town
Why were many African Americans killed in the Summer of 1868 in Opelousas?
their perceived role in taking power away from Democrats
What was the editor doing at the Methodist Church when the white mob attacked him?
teaching a class of African American children
What happened to African Americans who surrendered in the Opelousas Massacre?
they were either shot or arrested and then executed
What caused white Democrats to open fire, set the courthouse ablaze, and massacre people who fled in Colfax?
African American Republican officials refused to leave town
What two incidents caused Democrats to be mad in the Opelousas Massacre?
-Republicans had won many local and state elections
-newspaper editor published an article denouncing the Democrats
In the Opelousas Massacre, What two things did the editorial condemn the Democrats of v______ and i_______
violence and intimidation
According to an army investigation, what was the total number of dead from the Opelousas Massacre?
233
What did the men in Colfax claim after a hotly contested election?
that Democrats controlled the state