The Trials of Will Johnson: Race-blind Justice in the First Year of Oklahoma Statehood
Description:
Article describes the state of race relations in Oklahoma during the early 1900s through the examination of the trials, appeals, and execution of Will Johnson, a black man charged with the murder of an elderly white woman. Though African Americans held nearly equal status in the territorial period, the case's proceedings indicate the trial as a "benchmark" that indicated the switch to the rigidity of the Jim Crow era.
Date:
Autumn 2003
Creator:
Hedglen, Thomas
Partner:
Oklahoma Historical Society