The subtitle for this book describes it perfectly: The Lynching and Expulsion of Blacks in the Southern Ozarks, 1894-1909. I had heard about the mobs that had drove blacks out of Joplin at the beginning of the 1900s but didn't know much about it, so I was interested in reading this book when I found it at the library. It covers Peirce City, Monett, Springfield, southern Arkansas, and Joplin. There were lynchings of blacks pulled out of jail cells, including 3 in Springfield on Easter morning, 2 of which are believed to be innocent men. Mobs after most of the lynchings drove black communities out of the towns, leaving this area empty of the African American population. This is a good look at one of the most shameful times of this area. While dry at times, this is still an interesting read for anyone who wants to learn more about this time period.
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