Detroit Burning
The Race Riots of 1863
$29.95
In stock
About the Book
In March 1863, news of a controversial draft law hit the streets of Detroit as local saloonkeeper William Faulkner stood trial for raping two young girls. The sensational trial and accompanying lurid coverage in local newspapers inflamed festering racial animosities, resulting in an event dubbed “the bloodiest day that ever dawned upon Detroit.” The Detroit riot of 1863 permanently altered the city’s social landscape and later spurred the establishment of Detroit’s first metropolitan police department.
This history of the Detroit riot of 1863 illustrates the unique and complex social dynamic of Detroit during the Civil War. Featuring eyewitness testimonies from rare and seldom seen court records and trial transcripts, the book identifies the ringleaders, examines factors leading to the riot, and analyzes Faulkner’s trial in the context of political events.
About the Author(s)
Bibliographic Details
Tobin T. Buhk
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 275
Bibliographic Info: 21 photos, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2024
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9216-6
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5201-6
Imprint: Exposit
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments vii
Preface: The Great Riot 1
Introduction 3
Major Figures in the Detroit Riot of 1863 8
Timeline 11
Part 1—Kindling (February 27, 1863) 13
1. The Past as Prologue (1833–1863) 15
2. Behind Closed Doors: Law and Order in Detroit, c. 1863 36
Part 2—Torch (Monday, March 2–Friday, March 6, 1863) 59
3. “The Faulkner Outrage” (Monday, March 2–Wednesday, March 4, 1863) 61
4. The Case for the Prosecution (Thursday, March 5, 1863) 75
5. The Case for the Defense (Friday, March 6, 1863) 84
Part 3—Inferno (Friday, March 6, 1863) 91
6. Blaze (Friday Afternoon, March 6, 1863) 95
7. Wildfire (Friday Afternoon, March 6, 1863) 102
8. Detroit Is Burning (Friday Night, March 6, 1863) 113
Part 4—Ashes (Saturday, March 7–May 1863) 125
9. Cinders (Saturday, March 7, 1863) 127
10. Sermons (Sunday, March 8, 1863) 145
11. Inquest (Saturday, March 7–Tuesday, March 24, 1863) 150
12. Witnesses (Monday, March 9–Tuesday, March 24, 1863) 160
13. Black, White, and Sepia (March 1863) 167
14. Whitewash: The Trials of the Rioters (April–May 1863) 176
Part 5—Rebuilding 187
15. Residual Effects and Legacy 189
16. Lessons: The Children’s Crusade 204
Epilogue 219
Appendix 1: “The Riot” 225
Appendix 2: Kids in the Big House, Juveniles in the Detroit House of Correction 228
Appendix 3: The Rev. Sylvan S. Hunting’s Sermon of March 15, 1863 233
Appendix 4: Questions for Study and Contemplation 236
Chapter Notes 237
Bibliography 259
Index 261
