Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument
- In addition to attacking Black residents, rioters also targeted businesses owned by Jewish Americans and other White residents sympathetic to the Black community.
- The 1908 race riot captured national attention because it took place in Abraham Lincoln’s hometown.
- The site became part of the NPS African American Civil Rights Network in 2020.
In mid-August 1908, thousands of white residents of Springfield, Illinois, targeted and attacked Black residents. The mob destroyed Black homes and businesses and lynched two Black men. After three days of violence, the state militia helped restore order, arresting approximately 150 participants. Few, however, were ever convicted.
This horrendous episode was just one of numerous incidents of racially motivated riots and violent acts that took place in many American cities in the late 19th and early 20th-centuries. The event led to the founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
The National Monument was established in August 2024 very near where the 1908 riot started. While there is nothing left of the original buildings, archeological evidence gives a rare glimpse into a community devastated by racial hatred. The National Park Service plans to develop programs and facilities to breathe new life into the story surrounding the event.
