On this date in 1876, the Hamburg Massacre took place in Hamburg, South Carolina, when a white supremacist mob attacked a group of Black Republican militiamen, killing five Black men. This violent act was part of a broader campaign of racial terror during the Reconstruction era, aimed at suppressing Black political power and voter participation.

The attack began when white men, including former Confederate soldiers and Democratic Party supporters, challenged the presence of an all-Black militia. After a confrontation, a white mob—led by “Red Shirts” (a white supremacist paramilitary group)—escalated the violence, capturing and executing Black militia members.

The massacre was a precursor to the violent suppression of Black political rights in the South, paving the way for Jim Crow laws and disenfranchisement. Despite national attention, little justice was served for the victims, and the event remains a key moment in U.S. history reflecting the struggles of Reconstruction and racial injustice.