The Chicago Race Riots: July, 1919

Nearly a century ago, an African American teenager crossed an invisible line of segregation at a Chicago beach and paid with his life. The incident set off days of violence, resulting in dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries. This contemporary account was written by Pulitzer Prizewinning author Carl Sandburg, who reported on the riots for the Chicago Daily News.

American writer, editor, and poet Carl Sandburg (1878–1967) published more than 40 books and won three Pulitzer Prizes, two for his poetry and one for his biography of Abraham Lincoln. This volume is drawn from his reportage for the Chicago Daily News.

Introductory Note by Walter Lippman Preface to the Dover Edition I. The Chicago Race Riots II. The Background III. The Negro Migration IV. Real Estate V. Demand for Negro Labor VI. Nwe Industrial Opportunities VII. After Each Lynching VIII. Trades for Colored Women IX. Negroes and Rising Rents X. Unions and the Color Line XI. Abouth Lynchings XII. Negro Crime Tales XIII. Colored Gamblers XIV. An Official of the Packers XV. Mr. Julius Rosenwald Interviewed XVI. For Federal Action