Instigated by white vigilantes who resented growing African American political power, the outbreak of violence was called “the bloodiest day Meridian ever saw.”
1871: Riot of 1871 in Meridian leaves at least thirty people dead
1871: Ridgley C. Powers becomes Mississippi’s twenty-ninth governor
Governor Ridgley C. Powers
Powers served from 1871 to 1874 after Governor Alcorn resigned to accept an appointment to the U. S. Senate.
Link to the catalog1871: Liberty becomes first town in America to erect Confederate monument
1871: Alcorn University is organized
Alcorn A&M College
Founded on a site originally occupied by Oakland College, Alcorn University was established by the state of Mississippi and named in honor of the Governor, James L. Alcorn. It was the first land-grant college for blacks and one of the first state-supported colleges for blacks in the state. It became Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College in 1878 and Alcorn State University in 1974.
Link to the catalog