Preliminary Paper

Lynching in Leavenworth: The Fred Alexander Story

General Topic:
Racism and lynching in early 20th Century Kansas (specifically NE Kansas, but I will look at reaction to this event from newspapers throughout Kansas and the U.S.)

Possible Primary Sources:
Kansas Newspapers: Lawrence, Topeka, Leavenworth (3), Wichita, Parsons, and possibly others
U.S. Newspapers: KC Star, NY Times, Washington Post, LA Times (it was an AP story, but each reported it with their own bias)
photographs/drawings of the people involved
Leavenworth police report (unsolved cases)
LV county jail records (NARA Central Plains Region)
Leavenworth city directory
U.S. Census Records
Military enlistment records
Coroners Inquest
Leavenworth city map, 1901

Possible Secondary Sources:
books
Looking Back: Leavenworth County History
In Search of the Racial Frontier
A city divided : the racial landscape of Kansas City, 1900-1960
Bleeding Kansas : contested liberty in the Civil War era
Kansas: A Land of Contrasts
Kansas: A History of the Sunflower State, 1854-2000
Still looking for others
websites
www.historicaldocuments.com/boodredrecord.htm
www.faculty.washinton.edu/qtaylor/courses/322_aah/332_man_chpl.htm
others

Outline:
Introduction
History of Kansas
Bleeding Kansas
Contrasting attitudes towards race such as Leavenworth and Lawrence
Thesis: The early history of Kansas has led to conflicting views on race. These views have led to inexplicable violence. Kansas is schizophrenic when it comes to race issues.

History of Kansas
Bleeding Kansas
Etc
The incident—the lynching of Fred Alexander
The presentation of facts to the public
Different interpretations
Anti-lynching movement
Conclusion