Lynching Reaches Peak in 1892: 161 Documented Killings

The Chicago Tribune recorded 161 Black people lynched in 1892, the highest single-year total documented. Texas recorded 22 lynchings, Mississippi 17, Louisiana 29, Alabama 22, and Georgia 17. Ida B. Wells noted that the alleged offenses listed included 'insults,' 'quarreling,' 'bad reputation,' and 'making threats' alongside more serious charges. The epidemic continued with over 100 documented lynchings every year through 1901.