Forgotten Dead: Mob Violence against Mexicans in the United States, 1848-1928

321 Pages·2013·1.72 MB·English

by  William D. Carrigan

Forgotten Dead
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Forgotten Dead
Mob Violence against Mexicans in
the United States, 1848–1928
z
WILLIAM D. CARRIGAN
AND
CLIVE WEBB
1
3
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Carrigan, William D., 1970–
Forgotten dead : mob violence against Mexicans in the United States,
1848–1928 / William D. Carrigan and Clive Webb.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978–0–19–532035–0 (acid-free paper) 1. Mexican Americans—Violence against—
History—19th century. 2. Mexican Americans—Violence against—History—20th century.
3. Mobs—United States—History—19th century. 4. Mobs—United States—History—
20th century. 5. Lynching—United States—History—19th century. 6. Lynching—United
States—History—20th century. 7. United States—Race relations—History—19th century.
8. United States—Race relations—History—20th century. I. Webb, Clive, 1970–
II. Title.
E184.M5C3675 2013
305.868(cid:99)7207309034—dc23
2012039424
1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2
Printed in the United States of America
on acid-free paper
For Emily
and
for Kathy
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Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Note on Terms xi
Introduction 1
1. Manifest Destiny and Mob Violence against Mexicans 17
2. Judge Lynch on the Border 64
3. Mexican Resistance to Mob Violence 97
4. Diplomatic Protest and the Decline of Mob Violence 128
Conclusion: Remembering the Forgotten Dead 159
Appendix A: Confi rmed Cases of Mob Violence against Persons
of Mexican Origin and Descent in the United States, 1848–1928 179
Appendix B: Unconfi rmed Cases of Mob Violence against Persons
of Mexican Origin and Descent in the United States, 1848–1928 223
Notes 239
Index 283
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Acknowledgments
this book started out with the desire of two friends situated on other
sides of the Atlantic to keep in touch by researching and writing an article
together. Over the course of fi fteen years that project turned into the book
that you now hold in your hands. Given the long duration of the project,
we have inevitably incurred many debts. It is a pleasure now to be able to
thank the people who have in various important ways assisted us.
We have conducted research at institutions in the United States and
Mexico and wish to thank the librarians and archivists, too numerous to
list, who helped us locate materials. Several undergraduate and graduate
students also provided important research assistance, including Thomas
Bodall, Taryn Calamito, Jeff rey Flanagan, Cara Flodmand, Nancy Gonzalez,
Nadja Janssen, Christopher Kosienski, Helen McLure, Willy Melendez,
Samantha Sullivan, and Mark Walter. Leigh Botner and Denise Williams
of Rowan University provided essential administrative support. Patricia
Lozano Carrigan provided translations of some material. Mojdeh Hojjati
served as an invaluable guide to us during our time in Mexico City. We
would also like to thank Daniel Oliva for creating the map of the American
Southwest and Laura Shelley for the indexing. Our editor at Oxford, Susan
Ferber, has been nothing short of the paragon of the position.
Along the way, we have also received advice, encouragement, and
information from many colleagues, some of whom read and commented
insightfully on our work. Our thanks in this regard to Manfred Berg,
Carlos Blanton, W. Fitzhugh Brundage, Stephanie Cole, Arnoldo De Le ó n,
Neil Foley, Trinidad Gonzales, Benjamin Heber Johnson, Carlos Larralde,
Christine Marin, Clare V. McKanna, the late Erik Monkkonen, F. Arturo
Rosales, Douglas Monroy, Michael J. Pfeifer, Christopher Waldrep, the late
David J. Weber, Simon Wendt, Elliot West, and Amy Louise Wood. While
this book is undoubtedly better for their support, we accept entire respon-
sibility for any errors of fact or interpretation.