Eight Days of Violence
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High racial tensions caused the riot to escalate quickly.​​​​​​​

“But above all of this, I had a sense of wonder and unbelief that human beings could act as such savages as they were during this situation. I thought of the hate on the faces of these hoodlums who were running to attack us, and I thought that they looked exactly like a pack of wild animals out for a kill.”

(Arthur G. Falls, as quoted from Robert Loerzel, 2019, "Blood in the Streets")

Angry about the events at the beach, African Americans beat whites in cars, while whites beat and shot African Americans. These occurred many times.

"Lawless mobs roam our streets. They kill inoffensive citizens and no notice is taken. They are Negroes — they are only Negroes — and it doesn’t matter. Houses have been bombed and lives taken in our glorious, free city, but it is only a few Negroes. They have had the nerve to move into white neighborhoods. It serves them right. Why should Chicago bother to make democracy safe for Negroes?” 

(Ida B. Wells, as quoted from Robert Loerzel, 2019, "Blood in the Streets") 

Soon, athletic clubs, groups of American Irishmen, began attacking African Americans. They burned down the Lithuanian neighborhood and blamed it on African Americans, along with other houses. 

(Jun Fujita, 1919, Chicago History Museum Images)

("Report Two Killed, Fifty Hurt, in Race Riots," 1919, Defender)

(Trollinger, 2019, Fighting America)  

In all parts of the city, white mobs dragged from surface cars, black passengers wholly ignorant of any trouble, and set upon them. 

(The Chicago Defender, "Ghastly Deeds of Race Rioters Told," 1919, via History Matters)

Encouraged by new social movements that emerged during the return from World War I, African Americans, mostly soldiers, broke into an armory. As more people joined the fighting, the riot soon became almost uncontrollable.

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Fake news during the riot helped increase anger during the riot, leading to more fighting. 

("Riot Sweeps Chicago," 1919, Defender​​​​​​​)

"An unidentified young woman and a three months old baby were found dead on the street ... She had attempted to board a car when the mob siezed her, beat her, slashed her body into ribbons and beat the baby's brains out against a telephone pole."

Defender as cited from William M. Tuttle Jr., 1972, Race Riot: Chicago in the Red Summer of 1919)

White-run newspapers created stories about African American men often assaulting white women, though this was rare. The Defender created stories with exaggerated descriptions of false murders. People's reactions were increased violence and animosity towards the other race, which worsened violence.

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Unwilling law enforcement allowed the riot to escalate quickly.

"There is no doubt that a great many police officers were grossly unfair in making arrests. They shut their eyes to offenses committed by white men while they were very vigorous in getting all the colored men they could get."

(Maclay Hoyne as cited from Robert Loerzel, 2019, "Blood in the Streets") 

(Darcel Rockett, 2019, Chicago Tribune​​​​​​​)


Police failed to stop the riot. Officers often ignored attacks on African Americans while unfairly arresting them. Their attempts to control violence by surrounding neighborhoods didn’t work. 

“While looking for his mother at Thirty-first and State streets on Tuesday, July 29, Wm. F. Thornton, Negro, 3207 South Park Avenue, asked a policeman to take him home. The officer took him to the police station and locked him up. Another Negro applied for protection, but the police searched him, clubbed him, and when he ran, the sergeant told another policeman to shoot him. The policeman obeyed and the man fell under the "L" station. ... The officer, Bundy, arrested Thornton.”

(The Chicago Commission on Race Relations, 1922, The Negro in Chicago)