New Orleans Riot of 1866
On
July 30, 1864, angered by the enactment of the Black Codes
in Louisiana, and by the legislature's refusal to give black
men the vote, the Radical Republicans in Louisiana
reconvened the constitutional convention of 1864. While only
twenty-five white delegates meet in New Orleans, they were
joined by 200 supporters who were primarily African-American
veterans from the Civil War.
Former confederates, aided by the New Orleans police,
fearful that the state would fall out of Southern, white
control, attacked the gathering. Both the blacks and the
delegates were targets and were shot even after raising
white flags of surrender as they tried to flee the building
where the convention was being held. Cyrus Hamlin, son of
former Vice-President Hannibal Hamlin wrote, "The wholesale
slaughter and the little regard paid to human life I
witnessed here" was worse than what he had seen in
battle.
Local police, rather than assisting those under attack,
participated in it. Federal troops had been called for
assistance but by the time they arrived it was too late to
prevent the violence. 100 persons were injured in the
fighting and thirty-four blacks and three white Radicals
were killed.
Source: Reconstruction.
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Timeline.