Smith, Gerrit (1797-1874) The West Point mob.
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC04717.66 Author/Creator: Smith, Gerrit (1797-1874) Place Written: Peterboro, New York Type: Printed document Date: 13 March 1871 Pagination: 1 p. ; 32.8 x 20.5 cm. Order a Copy
Smith discusses recent mob activity at West Point, New York: "Nothing else is so frightful as a mob- that many-headed monster, whose every head refuses to be controlled. Mobs and their dramshop inspiration threaten the ruin of our country. Ours is emphatically the country of mobs. Slavery made it such." Judging from Smith's text, West Point cadets kidnapped and threatened to tar and feather several African Americans.
Smith, a politician from New York, served as a U.S. Representative from 1853-1854. He was a noted philanthropist and social reformer active in anti-slavery campaigns and women's rights.
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