Sparked by the alleged rape of a white woman by a black man and the murder of a white engineer , supposedly also by a black man , in Springfield , and reportedly angered by the high degree of corruption in the city , rioting broke out on August 14 , 1908 and continued for three days in a period of violence known as the Springfield race riot . Gangs of white youth and blue-collar workers attacked the predominantly black areas of the city known as the Levee district , where most black businesses were located , and the Badlands , where many black residences stood . Two blacks were lynched and four whites were killed by gunfire when black property-owners sought to defend their homes and businesses . The riot ended when the governor sent in more than 3,700 militiamen to patrol the city , but isolated incidents of white violence against blacks continued in Springfield into September
Springfield race riot
Springfield race riot of 1908
Springfield, Illinois