Rosewood Massacre
There have been many wrong doings over time and while many justify the inhumane acts with “It was just the time we lived in back then”, nothing can justify what transpired in a small town in Florida in 1923. Rosewood, Florida was established around 1845. This town was a very small town located in what is now Levy County.
This was a quiet town that began to take notice when a railway was built nearby. This railroad would transport the red cedar tree by the masses to a pencil factory in Cedar Key. Unfortunately, within thirty years the population of cedar trees had been drastically depleted and the families were forced to move elsewhere to find work (ND, ND). Many of the white families who used to live in Rosewood moved …show more content…
A white woman claiming she had been raped by a black man, black people with guns that could defend themselves, and jealousy due to stories Rosewood was doing better financially than Sumner. Top it off with the killing of white men and you have just created the ingredients needed for a massacre. It wasn’t until years later when survivors came to tell their story. Fannie Taylor’s lover had beaten her while Mr. Taylor working, but none of that mattered. It was a little too late. Rosewood was no more. The land was confiscated by the state. The town does not exist today. The only reminder is a sign with historical facts about the town that once was.
The story of the Rosewood Massacre is sad, but it’s a story that must be shared. People need to realize the harm that was cause in their backyards and how today racism still exists. We all have a history and if you look really good you may find something hidden under a rug. The important thing is to learn from these events and do differently. However, there are many people out there after reading about these crimes may shrug their shoulders and just say “it was just the time we lived in back
There have been many wrong doings over time and while many justify the inhumane acts with “It was just the time we lived in back then”, nothing can justify what transpired in a small town in Florida in 1923. Rosewood, Florida was established around 1845. This town was a very small town located in what is now Levy County.
This was a quiet town that began to take notice when a railway was built nearby. This railroad would transport the red cedar tree by the masses to a pencil factory in Cedar Key. Unfortunately, within thirty years the population of cedar trees had been drastically depleted and the families were forced to move elsewhere to find work (ND, ND). Many of the white families who used to live in Rosewood moved …show more content…
A white woman claiming she had been raped by a black man, black people with guns that could defend themselves, and jealousy due to stories Rosewood was doing better financially than Sumner. Top it off with the killing of white men and you have just created the ingredients needed for a massacre. It wasn’t until years later when survivors came to tell their story. Fannie Taylor’s lover had beaten her while Mr. Taylor working, but none of that mattered. It was a little too late. Rosewood was no more. The land was confiscated by the state. The town does not exist today. The only reminder is a sign with historical facts about the town that once was.
The story of the Rosewood Massacre is sad, but it’s a story that must be shared. People need to realize the harm that was cause in their backyards and how today racism still exists. We all have a history and if you look really good you may find something hidden under a rug. The important thing is to learn from these events and do differently. However, there are many people out there after reading about these crimes may shrug their shoulders and just say “it was just the time we lived in back