ABOUT THE BLOG

The Lynching of Benjamin Hance

On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free." This did not include Maryland…So, on November 1, 1864, Maryland freed all those held in bondage within its boundaries with the adoption of a new state constitution. This was more than a year before the ratification of the 13th amendment which abolished slavery nationwide. That is why November 1, 2019 was chosen as the day to remember Benjamin Hance, who was lynched in 1887.

​

Mr. Hance was accused of a crime but never received a fair investigation or trial. A mob of white residents from Leonardtown and the surrounding area decided to take the situation out of the hands of justice and into their own when they seized Mr. Hance from the local jail. Showing complete disregard for the legal system, the mob ended Mr. Hance's life and was never held accountable for doing so.  

​

Mr. Hance’s story is not easy to hear, but it must be told. We cannot change the past, but we can change the consequences of it and the way we talk about it. And that can start today.