What do you think?
Rate this book
The 1910 Slocum Massacre: An Act of Genocide in East Texas
In late July 1910, a shocking number of African Americans in Texas were slaughtered by white mobs in the Slocum area of Anderson County and the Percilla-Augusta region of neighboring Houston County. The number of dead surpassed the casualties of the Rosewood Massacre in Florida and rivaled those of the Tulsa Riots in Oklahoma, but the incident--one of the largest mass murders of blacks in American history--is now largely forgotten. Investigate the facts behind this harrowing act of genocide in E.R. Bills's compelling inquiry into the Slocum Massacre.
160 pages, Paperback
First published May 4, 2014
19 people are currently reading
583 people want to read
About the author
E.R. Bills
24 books21 followersE. R. Bills is a writer from Fort Worth, Texas. He received a BA in Journalism from Southwest Texas State University and does freelance writing for publications around Texas.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
June 26, 2014
It's creepy how little known a lot of the struggles blacks faced in the twentieth century are. I'm not a history major, or even close, but I paid attention amidst the spitballs and irrelevant movie days in history class, and the scale of suffering just got completely glossed over. Unless I'm just completely out of the loop, I have to assume most people are pretty unaware as well.
This massacre is haunting in itself, but more so because of how forgotten it is. This event almost fluttered out of the common memory with little written or memorializing it, so it brings to mind the forgotten miseries that surely existed. The Slocum Massacre felt like a mystery novel at times, trying to uncover what exactly happened from newspapers and accounts from scant witnesses. Not everything is resolved, and Bills is clear in the spots where he speculates what might fill in the gaps.
I like the glimpse into mob psychology. Bills uses the circumstances to get into the mind of the mobbers, relating their paranoia. Neither justifying nor dehumanizing them, he shows how things could get so out of control.
At times it felt slightly disorganized, threading in and out of the main storyline of the massacre to general background and comparisons to other atrocities. In the end, I liked the style and it was a satisfying journey through a really terrifying event.
This massacre is haunting in itself, but more so because of how forgotten it is. This event almost fluttered out of the common memory with little written or memorializing it, so it brings to mind the forgotten miseries that surely existed. The Slocum Massacre felt like a mystery novel at times, trying to uncover what exactly happened from newspapers and accounts from scant witnesses. Not everything is resolved, and Bills is clear in the spots where he speculates what might fill in the gaps.
I like the glimpse into mob psychology. Bills uses the circumstances to get into the mind of the mobbers, relating their paranoia. Neither justifying nor dehumanizing them, he shows how things could get so out of control.
At times it felt slightly disorganized, threading in and out of the main storyline of the massacre to general background and comparisons to other atrocities. In the end, I liked the style and it was a satisfying journey through a really terrifying event.
September 3, 2020
Bills does important work recovering the events of Slocum Massacre which has been disturbingly ignored by academia and the state of Texas. However, it is lacking analysis and does not offer much about the life of Black Texans in the area. Oftentimes feels like a collection of primary sources rather than a historical monograph.
July 13, 2015
Very enlightening. I met one of the descendants of the massacre and she got the author to donate a copy of the book to my library, The African American Library at the Gregory School. The author is coming to discuss the book in September.
January 17, 2016
If you're an American it's always important to read your history, actually it's essential.... how can you begin to unsderstand the present without the lens of the past?
"According to an NAACP study entitled Thirty Years of Lynching in the United States, 1889– 1918 (published in April 1919), 335 lynchings were reported in Texas in that time period, and 78 percent of the victims were black. In other words, Texans lynched one person a month for thirty years, and almost 80 percent of the time the man or woman hanging on the end of a rope or smoldering in the remains of a fire was African American."
In other words, isn't it still happening... without the 'lawlessness', the mobs and the rope?
"According to an NAACP study entitled Thirty Years of Lynching in the United States, 1889– 1918 (published in April 1919), 335 lynchings were reported in Texas in that time period, and 78 percent of the victims were black. In other words, Texans lynched one person a month for thirty years, and almost 80 percent of the time the man or woman hanging on the end of a rope or smoldering in the remains of a fire was African American."
In other words, isn't it still happening... without the 'lawlessness', the mobs and the rope?
June 2, 2021
A revealing book sharing the atrocities of an often hidden and forgotten episode of racist terrorism in East Texas. The author engages in some unnecessary speculation regarding motives near the end, but beyond that and some rabbit trails here and there, he does well in sharing this story.
April 5, 2016
Everyone needs to be aware of this once lost piece of history. It's hard to acknowledge, but we must. E.R. Bills and some of the descendants of this massacre have worked very hard over the last few years to bring this to light. This past January the state of Texas installed a historical marker! There are thousands of historical markers in Texas, but this is the first to acknowledge such an act as the Slocum Massacre. Watch for more!
August 26, 2023
Over two days in July 1910, more than 20 Black people were killed after a white mob went on a rampage due, officially, to rumors and "misunderstandings." This is a terrible incident that is little known about, and has been barely acknowledged in Slocum. The author goes into what led up to the massacre, which officially took 22 lives (although the true death toll could very well have surpassed the Tulsa massacre 11 years later), the court case that resulted, and similar incidents. The lasting legacy is that many Black families fled the slaughter and never came back, and their properties were quickly snapped up by white landowners (which makes the whole claim of "misunderstandings" suspicious). Readers with younger children should be aware that there are several photos included which are disturbing, depicting dead lynching victims. That said, I think these photos need to be shown and am glad the author included them.
June 1, 2020
4.5 Stars
This book does an excellent job of not only exposing the genocide that happened in East Texas that has been swept under the rug, but also discussing the long last impacts of the racism in the area.
The Slocum Massacre has long been swept under the rug and has been failed to be addressed in the public. More attention needs to be raised to the (multiple) genocide(s) that happens right on our home ground. The Slocum Massacre wasn't even officially recognized by the Texas government until 2011, which is quite frankly a travesty of epic proportions.
The book is extremely important and a must-read for anyone who is interested in the forgotten history of America.
This book does an excellent job of not only exposing the genocide that happened in East Texas that has been swept under the rug, but also discussing the long last impacts of the racism in the area.
The Slocum Massacre has long been swept under the rug and has been failed to be addressed in the public. More attention needs to be raised to the (multiple) genocide(s) that happens right on our home ground. The Slocum Massacre wasn't even officially recognized by the Texas government until 2011, which is quite frankly a travesty of epic proportions.
The book is extremely important and a must-read for anyone who is interested in the forgotten history of America.
August 17, 2024
This is well written and it is evident that a great deal of research occurred on the Topic of the 1910 Slocum Massacre.
It is can be difficult to read due to the topic. And it does read more of a research paper with facts. There are some speculation; however, it is at a minimum for the reader to decide on the information provided. Some folks will not like this style of writing as it is non-fiction.
Unfortunately, this is another topic that is largely ignored - the race riots / genocide of USA Black Citizens.
It is can be difficult to read due to the topic. And it does read more of a research paper with facts. There are some speculation; however, it is at a minimum for the reader to decide on the information provided. Some folks will not like this style of writing as it is non-fiction.
Unfortunately, this is another topic that is largely ignored - the race riots / genocide of USA Black Citizens.
October 2, 2019
Bills calls this correctly a genocide. Sadly it was not the only one in the US. A county in eastern Texas decides to get rid of its "black problem" by murdering and terrorizing the African Americans of Slocum, Texas. The story takes place over a weekend and then the aftermath that remains today of no African Americans in that region. A bit of history that needs to come out of the closet so it cna hopefully not continue to be repeated
June 10, 2021
“On some level, the State of Texas was complicit in an act of genocide.”
Small book but not light reading.
Anyone who is triggered by photos of lynchings, or other horrific acts by real people, give yourself space to process this book and what it presents.
Vital information for understanding Texas history and Texas racism.
More of a historical essay than a book, includes background on other lynchings in the south as well.
Small book but not light reading.
Anyone who is triggered by photos of lynchings, or other horrific acts by real people, give yourself space to process this book and what it presents.
Vital information for understanding Texas history and Texas racism.
More of a historical essay than a book, includes background on other lynchings in the south as well.
November 20, 2024
Read this after the election. As a Black Texan, this was difficult to read. However, much of our history has been erased or willingly left out. This massacre was evil to the core. Tigger warning: there are pictures of lynchings in the book.
Despite that, it’s important to understand what happened, why it happened and who was involved. Let me tell you something, mob mentality is a real thing. I will definitely be reading as much history as possible in the future.
Despite that, it’s important to understand what happened, why it happened and who was involved. Let me tell you something, mob mentality is a real thing. I will definitely be reading as much history as possible in the future.
June 15, 2021
A Hidden Story
This monograph tells the little known story of the massacre of African Americans in the 20th century that was predicated on false information and fear. Is this a story the Texas Legislature wants to suppress?
This monograph tells the little known story of the massacre of African Americans in the 20th century that was predicated on false information and fear. Is this a story the Texas Legislature wants to suppress?
July 7, 2024
I am a descendant of Jack Hollie and Abe Wilson.
Unfortunately, I didn't know about this story until 2020. This book exposed the truth about horrific acts that happened to my and other families in Anderson County and Houston County.
Unfortunately, I didn't know about this story until 2020. This book exposed the truth about horrific acts that happened to my and other families in Anderson County and Houston County.
August 3, 2018
An important read for all Texans. This horrific event needs to be recognized and the victims need to a have a proper burial. Acknowledging it happened is not enough.
October 12, 2022
Excellent read.
August 11, 2023
While there a push to erase the past monuments and rewrite the narrative we cannot learn if it is not written. This is an important book about an ugly time in our past. It was an eye opener for me.
July 2, 2014
This book deals with an extremely important yet little known event in Texas history. The topic is not a pleasant one, but it sheds much light on the way past generations of Americans experienced the world. I hope A LOT of people read this book. Some specifics about the book:
First, as a graduate student of history, I appreciate E.R. Bills's heavy reliance on primary sources. Although many details of the Massacre remain shrouded in mystery, Bills scours a wide variety of newspaper, legal, and oral source in order to reconstruct the event as fully as possible. The result is a thorough and reliable inquest into a shocking event that previously had lived in obscurity. I also respect the attempt Bills makes to provide a historical context, revealing that even as shocking as the Massacre seems to us now, such violence against African Americans was quite common in Texas at the time.
Moreover, as a native of Elkhart, TX, (a small town less than ten miles away from Slocum that is referenced frequently in the book) I am mortified to think that such a terrible event occurred so close to where I grew up. Of course I didn't expect our history to be free of racism or violence, but reading about this massacre brought the realities of the "Jim Crow" South literally closer to home. And I am even more terrified to think about how little known this event is. If a massacre of this scale could happen in my own hometown and be forgotten, how many how many more stories like this are out there?
I do want to warn readers that the structure of this book is not great. The force of the narrative is somewhat diluted due to the confusing organization, and to be frank, there is a lot of unnecessary fluff thrown in to stretch the story into a full book. Still, these flaws aside, this is an illuminating work, and I am grateful to E.R. Bills for conducting this research.
First, as a graduate student of history, I appreciate E.R. Bills's heavy reliance on primary sources. Although many details of the Massacre remain shrouded in mystery, Bills scours a wide variety of newspaper, legal, and oral source in order to reconstruct the event as fully as possible. The result is a thorough and reliable inquest into a shocking event that previously had lived in obscurity. I also respect the attempt Bills makes to provide a historical context, revealing that even as shocking as the Massacre seems to us now, such violence against African Americans was quite common in Texas at the time.
Moreover, as a native of Elkhart, TX, (a small town less than ten miles away from Slocum that is referenced frequently in the book) I am mortified to think that such a terrible event occurred so close to where I grew up. Of course I didn't expect our history to be free of racism or violence, but reading about this massacre brought the realities of the "Jim Crow" South literally closer to home. And I am even more terrified to think about how little known this event is. If a massacre of this scale could happen in my own hometown and be forgotten, how many how many more stories like this are out there?
I do want to warn readers that the structure of this book is not great. The force of the narrative is somewhat diluted due to the confusing organization, and to be frank, there is a lot of unnecessary fluff thrown in to stretch the story into a full book. Still, these flaws aside, this is an illuminating work, and I am grateful to E.R. Bills for conducting this research.
October 18, 2019
Terrible subject but not a bad book. It's hard for me to understand how so much hate can be directed at people that never did anything to deserve it. When it comes to human beings, one bad apple does not spoil the bunch. But, unfortunately, that's how a lot of these types of events happened. One crime, or in many cases one false accusation, cost a lot of people not just their homes and possesions, but they're lives. Ignorance, blind hatred and fear take over and horrible things like this go down. The book was good. Didn't grab me and shake me, but I think it's more about taste. Maybe just wasn't quite written the way I prefer. But all history is important to learn from, and there is definitely a powerful lesson to be learned here.
April 19, 2023
Massacres Are Us (U S)
Interesting history of mass racial slaughter of African Americans in East Texas in 1910. It could do with some better editorial organization as it tends to skip around time wise without any clear intent. However, as is made clear in the book the only thing unusual about the murders of multiple individuals and families was that it occurred all at one time rather than spread out over single killings. The state and local continuing denial of the event is yet another reason to avoid the state of Texas for those interested in truth, justice and reparations.
Interesting history of mass racial slaughter of African Americans in East Texas in 1910. It could do with some better editorial organization as it tends to skip around time wise without any clear intent. However, as is made clear in the book the only thing unusual about the murders of multiple individuals and families was that it occurred all at one time rather than spread out over single killings. The state and local continuing denial of the event is yet another reason to avoid the state of Texas for those interested in truth, justice and reparations.
November 23, 2015
Texas is a state with a frightening history.
So many lynchings and massacres--crimes against humanity--acts of brutal terrorism like the Slocum Massacre--go unreported in our history books, It's no wonder so many don't get the whole BLACK LIVES MATTER movement.
If only more "all lives matter" advocates were aware of these kinds of atrocities...the surely more people would understand the outrage over the murders of unarmed black men (and children) like Trayvon Martin, Tamir White, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Freddy Gray, Walter Scott...and so many more.
So many lynchings and massacres--crimes against humanity--acts of brutal terrorism like the Slocum Massacre--go unreported in our history books, It's no wonder so many don't get the whole BLACK LIVES MATTER movement.
If only more "all lives matter" advocates were aware of these kinds of atrocities...the surely more people would understand the outrage over the murders of unarmed black men (and children) like Trayvon Martin, Tamir White, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Freddy Gray, Walter Scott...and so many more.
December 6, 2015
A thorough account of a disturbing event. The research is impressive. The language is easy to follow and doesn't shy away from reality. We tend to say things like "never forget," but this one has slipped through the cracks. Stories like this give us a perspective that is lacking in most of the discussion about race in modern times.
January 2, 2015
A very good book about a black mark on Texas history! I had never heard of this until I saw a Facebook post about it. I didn't not know that Racism was this strong in Texas. I somewhat points out where today's Republican party of Texas comes from!
February 27, 2023
Important History
Great research leads to some very plausible cause and effect scenarios. The author also set the tone of the area and its people. We must know these things so we are not doomed to repeat. Ignorance about historical events will not excuse them...
Great research leads to some very plausible cause and effect scenarios. The author also set the tone of the area and its people. We must know these things so we are not doomed to repeat. Ignorance about historical events will not excuse them...
February 9, 2015
This is an important and shocking account of history; the author provides a thorough collection of evidence about a seriously tragic incident.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews