The Day the Law Broke: The Duluth Lynchings and Their Legacy
On this date in Minnesota history, a lawless mob overran the Duluth city jail, bypassing a medical report that cleared the suspects of any crime. Minnesota’s legal system failed entirely. Three young Black circus workers, Elias Clayton, Elmer Jackson, and Isaac McGhie, were stolen from their cells by a mob of thousands and hung from a downtown lamppost. We unpack the raw history of one of the state's darkest nights, the hollow accusations that fueled it, and the brilliant Black activist who rose from the aftermath to systematically rewrite Minnesota law.
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