To Suppress Riots and Insurrections: The Transformation of Mississippi’s State Militia 1868-1890

This thesis argues that between the ratification of Mississippi’s constitutions of 1868 and 1890, the state militia transformed from a tool to preserve the Republican Party and its predominately African American constituency, to a weapon of the Democratic Party to enforce white supremacy. Drawing on the militia’s legislated purpose “to suppress riots and insurrections” found in both the 1868 and 1890 constitutions, this thesis examines how race riots became the sole reason for militia deployment in late nineteenth century Mississippi and reveals how those alleged riots permitted Mississippi’s governors to undergird political power through shows of force. This work focuses on two “race riots”: The Clinton Riot of 1875 in Clinton, Mississippi, and the Leflore County Massacre of 1889 in Leflore County, Mississippi. Extensive primary documents such as newspapers, personal letters, and legal testimonies prove that the state militia stood at the forefront of historical change in Mississippi. Ultimately, the state militia operated as a symbolic show of force (rather than an active fighting force) tied to race riots despite who held political power in the state, while its goals and constituency changed entirely.