What Happened in 1906? Examining Atlanta’s Turbulent and Resilient Past
In this lesson, students will be introduced to the series of events that occurred over four days in Atlanta, Georgia in 1906 that came to be known as the Atlanta Race Massacre.
Joseph Terrell was an American politician who served as the 51st Governor of Georgia from 1902 to 1907. Born in Greenville, Georgia, Terrell began his political career in the Georgia General Assembly and later served as the state’s Attorney General. As governor, Terrell focused on educational reform, advocating for better funding and improved facilities for public schools. He also worked on economic development, promoting infrastructure improvements to enhance the state’s transportation networks.
Terrell’s tenure as governor was marked by his support for segregationist policies, reflecting the pervasive racial attitudes of the time. His administration upheld and enforced Jim Crow laws, which institutionalized racial segregation and disenfranchised African Americans. In 1906, during Terrell’s governorship, Atlanta experienced a horrific race massacre fueled by racial tensions and sensationalist media reports. The violence resulted in numerous deaths and widespread destruction in African American communities. While Terrell called for calm, his delayed response, as well as his administration’s policies and actions leading up to and during the massacre have been criticized for exacerbating racial divisions and failing to protect African American citizens. Though Terrell called in the Georgia National Guard to help quell the violence when it reached its peak, African Americans accused both the Atlanta Police Department and some Guardsmen of participating in the violence against them. Terrell’s legacy is thus intertwined with both his contributions to state development and his role in perpetuating racial injustice.
