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After brave African-Americans volunteered to fight against ternary, during World War I in 1914, they were rewarded with a trip home to yet another hostile environment. For many American-American veterans the times which followed the war brought far greater challenges than faced overseas. Although, military service seemed to be a good price for equal citizenship among different races, this was not the case. The decades following the war would be include blatant acts of racism and nationally recognized events which conveyed society's portrayal of African-Americans as 2nd class citizens. Although the fight against tyranny was over the fight for equal rights was just beginning. This article focuses on those African American veterans who were lynched after World War I.

World War I[edit]
See also: Military history of African Americans

World War I began with the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28th, 1914 and ended with the signing of the Armistice of November 11, 1918. Though the fighting stopped, the war's potential to resume still existed and peace was only reached when representatives of Germany signed the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. On April 2, 1917 President Woodrow Wilson declared war against Germany after Germany's resumption of submarine attacks on merchant and passenger ships.. When the United States did send men to the fronts of Europe, the United States Armed Forces remained segregated, with all-black and all-white units. Despite the segregation and mistreatment in everyday society, many African Americans still volunteered to join the Allied war effort. By the time of the armistice with Germany, more than 350,000 African Americans had joined the military to serve with the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) on the Western Front. Around 50,000 of those 350,000 experienced combat and a total of 770 African-American's paid with their lives to fight for their country.

Reaction to returning veterans[edit]
Many African-American veterans came home with the idea that their service of protecting the United States would come with equal citizenship between races. However, none were allowed to be given the same praise and honor as their white counterparts .During a homecoming celebration for African-American veterans of World War I in Norfolk, Virginia a race riot broke out on July 21, 1919. At least two people were killed and three others were injured. City officials had to call in the Marines and Navy personnel to restore order.

On August 16, 1917, Senator James K. Vardaman of Mississippi spoke of his fear of black veterans returning to the South, as he viewed that it would "inevitably lead to disaster." To the American South, the use of black soldiers in the military was a threat, not a virtue. "Impress the negro with the fact that he is defending the flag, inflate his untutored soul with military airs, teach him that it is his duty to keep the emblem of the Nation flying triumphantly in the air," and, the senator cautioned, "it is but a short step to the conclusion that his political rights must be respected."

Often violence broke out between serving members of the military. In both the Bisbee Riot (July 3, 1919) and the New London riots of 1919 active African-American service members were attacked by white mobs or white military units.

Many black soldiers in the years after the war were threatened with violence if they were caught wearing their uniform. Many others were even physically attacked, sometimes barely escaping with their lives. During an April 5, 1919, market day in Sylvester, Georgia, black veteran Daniel Mack was walking through a busy street and brushed against a white man. The white man was offended that Mack did not show the proper amount of respect and the two got in a scuffle; police came on the scene and promptly arrested Mack for assault. He was sentenced to 30 days in prison. A few days into his sentence, on April 14, a white mob broke into the prison, took him out into the wilderness and lynched Mack; he survived by playing dead. No arrests were ever made. Elisha Harper, 25 years old, was the son of the Rev. T. F. Harper, a respectable and "well-behaved preacher" living in Helena. He fought in the army during World War I and just returned from Europe. On July 24, 1919, while walking the streets of Newberry, South Carolina, he allegedly insulted a 14-year-old girl, who promptly reported him to the authorities. Harper was arrested and thrown in jail. Soon a white mob had gathered and would have lynched Harper if it was not for the local Sheriff who hid him away.