S3.E3-Wilmington 1898: The Massacre That Changed Everything

In 1898, Wilmington, North Carolina, was home to a thriving Black middle class—business owners, politicians, and professionals shaping the city's future. But that success was seen as a threat. What followed was not just a massacre but the only successful coup d'état in U.S. history.

White supremacists overthrew the democratically elected government, burned a Black-owned newspaper to the ground, and forced Black leaders to flee at gunpoint. Dozens—possibly hundreds—of Black residents were killed, and an entire community was erased from history.

How did this happen? Why don’t more people know about it? And what are the lasting consequences of Wilmington 1898?

In this episode of Black Washed History, we uncover the truth about the massacre that changed everything—and the warning it holds for us today.

📢 Listen now and share this story. History forgotten is history repeated.

Watch Documentary: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/american-coup-wilmington-1898/#part01


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Transcript

Men, the crisis is upon us. This city shall be rid of negro domination forever! - Alfred Waddell, a former Confederate officer.

Introduction
Welcome to Black Washed History podcast. My name is Brittany. My mission is to uncover stories that shape our world but too often go untold. Today, I will be discussing one of the darkest and most overlooked events in American history: the Wilmington Coup of 1898—the only successful coup d’état in the United States.

Ever heard of it? I never had until about a month ago after watching a documentary.

Wilmington Coup
This isn’t just a story of violence. It’s a story about democracy, race, and the fragility of progress. Let’s go back to Wilmington, North Carolina, in the late 19th century.

A Thriving Black Community
It’s 1898 in Wilmington, the largest city in North Carolina and a place of promise for African Americans. Fifty-six percent of its population was Black—many thriving as business owners, professionals, and community leaders.

Wilmington was essentially a promised land for African Americans, historian Crystal Sanders explains.

One of the city’s most prominent figures was Alexander Manly, the editor of The Daily Record, the only Black-owned daily newspaper in the country. His paper served as a voice for Black progress and justice, read by both Black and white residents.

But this success was intolerable to the white elite. They viewed Black economic and political power as a threat to their dominance.

In the 1890s, a coalition of Black Republicans and white Populists—known as the Fusionists—took control of Wilmington’s government, appointing Black leaders to positions of power. But this multiracial democracy enraged white supremacists.

Waddell and Josephus Daniels, publisher of The News and Observer, led a coordinated campaign to incite fear of so-called “Negro rule.” Their propaganda painted African Americans as corrupt and dangerous, using inflammatory editorials and political cartoons.

It was Malcolm X who said, "The media is the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent look guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power. Because they control the minds of the masses."

From publishing false narratives to organizing violence, a paramilitary group called the Red Shirts terrorized Black voters, using violence to suppress turnout.

The Coup
On November 10, 1898, two days after a rigged election, a mob of 2,000 armed white men marched through Wilmington. They burned The Daily Record office, destroying the symbol of Black progress. They killed dozens—possibly hundreds—of Black residents and forced survivors to flee into nearby swamps for safety.

We have taken a city... redeemed it for civilization and decency. - Reverend Peyton Hoge.

At gunpoint, the mob forced Wilmington’s Black and Fusionist leaders to resign. Waddell declared himself mayor in what historians call the only coup d’état in U.S. history.

The coup devastated Wilmington’s Black community. Homes, businesses, and wealth were lost. The city, once majority Black, became predominantly white almost overnight.

The effects rippled across North Carolina. By 1902, the number of registered Black voters plummeted from 126,000 to just 6,100. Statewide voter suppression laws, like poll taxes and literacy tests, silenced Black voices for generations.

What happened in Wilmington put the final nail in the coffin of democracy in the South.

Erasure and Legacy
For decades, the Wilmington Coup was erased from history books, labeled a “race riot” to shift blame onto Black residents. It wasn’t until the 1990s that the truth began to resurface.


Today, descendants of both victims and perpetrators are working to uncover the full story. They’re calling for reparations and justice, not just for Wilmington but for the many communities that faced similar violence across the South.

The Wilmington Coup isn’t just a tragedy of the past—it’s a warning. It reminds us how fragile democracy can be and how systemic racism has long-lasting effects.

Thank you for joining me today. If this story moved you, share it. Talk about it. And let’s commit to ensuring history like this is never forgotten—or repeated.