Historical Context
During the Trail of Tears, African American slaves and freemen traveled alongside the Native Americans. They settled in Oklahoma, freeing the slaves in 1807. In 1907, Oklahoma became a state and African Americans started to migrate there.
Many people, including Edwin P. McCabe, boasted about Tulsa and Oklahoma as a place free of racism and full of opportunity. Some African Americans bought property from people like O.W. Gurley who bought 30 or 40 acres and only sold them to African Americans. Whites also came to Tulsa, trying to stop the African Americans from leaving the South. The Black's cheap labor was essential to them. They were also fearful of Oklahoma becoming an all-Black state, which would mean they would lose some control over them. This allowed hate and resentment to fester within the White community. The town was divided - African Americans north of the railroad tracks and Whites south of the tracks. The south side wasn't as flourishing as the Black’s side. This furthered the White’s bitterness, feeling like since they were superior, they should thriving. |
The 1921 Tulsa Race Riot Reconnaissance Survey map, courtesy of The
National Park Service. The map shows the layout of Greenwood.
(Please click on the image to enlarge) |