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= Lynching of George White = The lynching of George White occurred on Monday, June 2nd, 1903 in Wilmington, Delaware. White was accused of the rape and murder of Helen Bishop, then arrested and brought to the workhouse. On the evening of June 22nd, under the impression that the local authorities were not reacting severely or soon enough, a large mob of men marched to the workhouse, broke their way in, and forced White out of his cell. He was then brought to the site of Helen Bishop's death, tied to a stake, and burned.

Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware was founded in 1638 by Swedish explorers. For a time, it was the country's largest producer of gunpowder. In his documentary In the Dead Fire's Ashes, Stephen Labovsky describes the town, and the state of Delaware as "North of the South but South of the North" due to its position as a border state during and after the American Civil War.

Social Climate
The late 19th and early 20th centuries were times of high racial tension in the United States. This also coincided with an influx of racial violence. Between the years 1882 and 1921, the United States experienced more than 3,405 lynchings. Most of these victims were black men, but women and children were also targeted. While many people did not believe in lynching, others found them not only acceptable but necessary. These events were sometimes referred to as "unofficial executions." In 1903 specifically, there was a wave of lynchings across the midwest, including events in Evansville, Indiana and Danville, Illinois.

Assault of Helen Baker
On June 15, 1903, 18 year old Helen Bishop was assaulted on her way home from Wilmington High School. Helen was the daughter of Reverend Bishop. She was found unconscious at around 5 PM near Price's Corner, West of Wilmington, by a man and his daughter. Her appearance was described as "soiled and torn," and she had wounds around her body, most significantly in her neck. Bishop was rushed home immediately, but died the following afternoon, never having woken up.

Town Reactions
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The Lynching
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Trials and Legal Action
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Media Coverage
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Public Opinion
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In the Dead Fire's Ashes
In the Dead Fire's Ashes is a documentary produced in 2004 by Stephen Labovsky. It was funded by the Delaware Humanities Council and has a run time of 40 minutes. The film focuses on the events leading up to, during, and immediately following White's lynching. It consists of interviews with historians, reenactments, old photographs, and voiceover, talking mostly about the series of events themselves.

Memorial Plaque
On June 23, 2019, the George White Commemorative Historic Marker was unveiled in Greenbank Park. It marked the 116th anniversary of George White's lynching. That same year in early August, the marker was stolen. A replacement marker, partially funded by citizens of the town, was unveiled on October 20, 2019.