On October 21, 1916, in Abbeville, South Carolina, Anthony Crawford, a successful African American landowner, encounters a grim fate. Known for his defiant nature and substantial wealth, Crawford finds himself in a heated dispute over cottonseed prices with a white store owner. The disagreement quickly escalates when one of the store’s employees assaults Crawford with an ax handle, sparking the interest of local law enforcement and a gathering mob.
Crawford is briefly jailed, only to be released on bail. But the racial tensions reach a boiling point as a mob, fueled by resentment and hatred, captures him once more. Despite attempts to evade them, Crawford is beaten and dragged through town, his fate sealed by the mob’s violence. The brutal lynching sends shockwaves through the community, leading to the expulsion of Crawford’s family and the seizure of their property, a chilling message of racial oppression.
The aftermath of this horrific act sees South Carolina’s governor calling for justice, yet the judicial system fails to convict any participants of the mob. Crawford’s land is later auctioned off at a fraction of its value, underscoring the profound injustice. The lynching of Anthony Crawford remains a somber reminder of the racial violence endemic in early 20th-century America, and the failure of justice to protect its victims.
