For the past three years, we’ve worked with over a hundred students and a couple of dozen other historians, community members, and colleagues to map lynchings in North and South Carolina. Our goal has been to allow as many people as possible to take part in this research. This process of discovery is one, we hope, that helps people understand both the geographic ubiquity of these acts of terror and the people whose lives were cut short by falling victim to this decades-long epidemic of violence.

Now, we’d like to ask you to contribute your research as well. The guide below is our first attempt at making the research process open to everyone. With your help, we hope to be able to map the entirety of the American South. We’ve tried to streamline the process as much as possible, though we’d welcome your thoughts and comments in addition to your contributions. Thanks for viewing, and thanks for contributing.

To get started, use the form here. This will walk you through the main steps to contribute your research. For now, we’ve limited the options to just lynching victims from Alabama. You can always opt to research a victim from another state, either using a compiled list accessed here, or with your own information.  If you have questions at any time, please email either Elijah Gaddis (ejgaddis AT auburn.edu) or Seth Kotch (sethkotch AT unc.edu)