--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Although lynchings have steadily…" description: "\"Although lynchings have steadily increased in number and barbarity during the last twenty years, there has been no single effort put forth by the many ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/ida-b-wells-16137_country_although-lynchings-have-steadily-increas_124219.jpg" --- # Although lynchings have steadily increased in number and… ![“Although lynchings have steadily increased in number and barbarity during the last twenty years, there has been no single effort put forth by the many moral and philanthropic forces of the country to put a stop to this wholesale slaughter.” quote by Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/ida-b-wells-16137_country_although-lynchings-have-steadily-increas_124219.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/ida-b-wells-16137_country_although-lynchings-have-steadily-increas_124219.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/ida-b-wells-16137_country_although-lynchings-have-steadily-increas_124219.jpg) > “Although lynchings have steadily increased in number and barbarity during the last twenty years, there has been no single effort put forth by the many moral and philanthropic forces of the country to put a stop to this wholesale slaughter.” [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Wells points out the paradox of rising lynchings and the absence of collective moral action to stop them. **In simple terms:** Violence grew while society stayed passive. Key Takeaway Moral inertia fuels systemic violence. Themes racism social justice activism historical oppression Mood urgency outrage determination Type activist historical When to use this quote - civil rights protests - community organizing - policy advocacy Key Concepts collective responsibility moral courage Practical Applications - educational campaigns - grassroots mobilization Questions to Reflect On - What drives societies to ignore escalating atrocities? - How can moral forces be mobilized effectively? A Different Perspective Some may argue that legal reforms alone can curb violence, overlooking cultural change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [Force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/force/) [Lasts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lasts/) [Lynching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lynching/) [Lynchings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lynchings/) [Lynchings Steadily](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lynchings-steadily-1443404/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Numbers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/numbers/) [Philanthropic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philanthropic/) [Philanthropic Forces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philanthropic-forces-1443405/) [Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slaughter/) [Steadily Increased](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/steadily-increased-1443406/) [Twenties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twenties/) [Wholesale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wholesale/) [Wholesale Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wholesale-slaughter-1022915/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [If we have a phased redeployment where we're as careful getting out as we were careless getting in, then there's not reason why we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/if-we-have-a-phased-redeployment-where-we-re-as-careful-getting-out/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [It's time for compassionate Americans to send a wake-up call to their members of Congress and demand passage of legislation to end the wholesale…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-velez-mitchell/it-s-time-for-compassionate-americans-to-send-a-wake-up-call-to-their/) [Jane Velez-Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-velez-mitchell/) > [“It is only in our beautiful France that wholesale slaughter is done lawfully, in the name of liberty and of brotherly love”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmuska-orczy/it-is-only-in-our-beautiful-france-that-wholesale-slaughter-is-done/) [Emmuska Orczy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmuska-orczy/) > [“We have the power to build a new consensus, which rejects killing as a method for achieving results. And we can look forward to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-winograd/we-have-the-power-to-build-a-new-consensus-which-rejects-killing-as-a/) [Nathan Winograd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-winograd/) > [In fact, for all kinds of offenses - and, for no offenses - from murders to misdemeanors, men and women are put to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/in-fact-for-all-kinds-of-offenses-and-for-no-offenses-from-murders-to/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [It's impossible to separate our contemporary practice of the death penalty from our history around race and slavery, and specifically, lynching. Where lynchings were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/it-s-impossible-to-separate-our-contemporary-practice-of-the-death/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [Every lynching deprives its victim of his life without due process of law, and denies him an equal protection of the law. The States…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/every-lynching-deprives-its-victim-of-his-life-without-due-process-of/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [“South Carolina had thirteen lynchings last year, ten were charged with assault on white women, one with horse stealing and two with being impudent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells-barnett/south-carolina-had-thirteen-lynchings-last-year-ten-were-charged-with/) [Ida B. Wells-Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells-barnett/) > [“…the racial divides in the United States will not be overcome until lynchings of all kinds are as painful to nonblacks as they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-lester/the-racial-divides-in-the-united-states-will-not-be-overcome-until/) [Julius Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-lester/) > [In my opinion while lynchings were quite possibly the most heinous crimes ever witnessed in American history, they helped in bringing people together for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/assata-shakur/in-my-opinion-while-lynchings-were-quite-possibly-the-most-heinous/) [Assata Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/assata-shakur/) > [“The artifacts that persist in my memory are the photographs of lynchings. But it’s not the burned, mutilated bodies that stick with me. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-serwer/the-artifacts-that-persist-in-my-memory-are-the-photographs-of/) [Adam Serwer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-serwer/) > [“It is as if we have reentered the past and are living in a second Nadir: It seems the rate of police killings now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/it-is-as-if-we-have-reentered-the-past-and-are-living-in-a-second/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [“The next morning the newspapers carried the news that while our meeting was being held there had been staged in Paris, Texas, one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells-barnett/the-next-morning-the-newspapers-carried-the-news-that-while-our/) [Ida B. Wells-Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells-barnett/) > [“It seems the rate of police killings now surpasses the rate of lynchings during the worst decades of the Jim Crow era. There was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/it-seems-the-rate-of-police-killings-now-surpasses-the-rate-of/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [“It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can stop him from lynching me, and I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/it-may-be-true-that-the-law-cannot-make-a-man-love-me-but-it-can-stop/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) ## More by Ida B. Wells > [The nineteenth century lynching mob cuts off ears, toes, and fingers, strips off flesh, and distributes portions of the body as souvenirs among the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/the-nineteenth-century-lynching-mob-cuts-off-ears-toes-and-fingers/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [The white man’s victory soon became complete by fraud, violence, intimidation and murder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/the-white-man-s-victory-soon-became-complete-by-fraud-violence/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [Lynching is color line murder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/lynching-is-color-line-murder/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [In slave times the Negro was kept subservient and submissive by the frequency and severity of the scourging, but, with freedom, a new system…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/in-slave-times-the-negro-was-kept-subservient-and-submissive-by-the/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [There is nothing we can do about the lynching now, as we are out-numbered and without arms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/there-is-nothing-we-can-do-about-the-lynching-now-as-we-are-out/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [The appeal to the white man's pocket has ever been more effectual than all the appeals ever made to his conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/the-appeal-to-the-white-man-s-pocket-has-ever-been-more-effectual/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [The people must know before they can act, and there is no educator to compare with the press.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/the-people-must-know-before-they-can-act-and-there-is-no-educator-to/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [The Afro-American is not a bestial race. If this work can contribute in any way towards proving this, and at the same time arouse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/the-afro-american-is-not-a-bestial-race-if-this-work-can-contribute/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [I had an instinctive feeling that the people who have little or no school training should have something coming into their homes weekly which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/i-had-an-instinctive-feeling-that-the-people-who-have-little-or-no/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [Thus lynch law held sway in the far West until civilization spread into the Territories and the orderly processes of law took its place.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/thus-lynch-law-held-sway-in-the-far-west-until-civilization-spread/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [Virtue knows no color line.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/virtue-knows-no-color-line/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [The doors of churches, hotels, concert halls and reading rooms are alike closed against the Negro as a man, but every place is open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/the-doors-of-churches-hotels-concert-halls-and-reading-rooms-are/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [The alleged menace of universal suffrage having been avoided by the absolute suppression of the negro vote, the spirit of mob murder should have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/the-alleged-menace-of-universal-suffrage-having-been-avoided-by-the/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [I am only a mouthpiece through which to tell the story of lynching and I have told it so often that I know it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/i-am-only-a-mouthpiece-through-which-to-tell-the-story-of-lynching/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [Our country's national crime is lynching. It is not the creature of an hour, the sudden outburst of uncontrolled fury, or the unspeakable brutality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/our-country-s-national-crime-is-lynching-it-is-not-the-creature-of-an/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) [Explore all 40 Ida B. Wells quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) ## More Country quotes > [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) > [ That country \[Carthage\] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws;… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinking-into-the-state-of-barbarism/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [For the Scottish government, the practice of having meetings in different parts of the country is well established, but for the U.K. government, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-sturgeon/for-the-scottish-government-the-practice-of-having-meetings-in/) [Nicola Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-sturgeon/) > [There's no reason someone who has fought for their country should be homeless of jobless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/there-s-no-reason-someone-who-has-fought-for-their-country-should-be/) [Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [It's very nice to be a rebel saying, 'I stand on my principles,' but if in fact that's not going to have any impact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-grieve/it-s-very-nice-to-be-a-rebel-saying-i-stand-on-my-principles-but-if/) [Dominic Grieve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-grieve/) > [Most paper money initially existed as a substitute for gold. That's what gave it value. But right now what gives a currency value is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/most-paper-money-initially-existed-as-a-substitute-for-gold-that-s/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [That's what this country is. It's made up of immigrants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bria-vinaite/that-s-what-this-country-is-it-s-made-up-of-immigrants/) [Bria Vinaite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bria-vinaite/) > [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [The United States cannot and should not discriminate on the basis of religion. The free exercise of religion is at the very heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-united-states-cannot-and-should-not-discriminate-on-the-basis-of/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [The reason I was drawn to the Band Perry was because they have a knack for doing rollicking country music that can sound a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-robinson/the-reason-i-was-drawn-to-the-band-perry-was-because-they-have-a/) [Phoebe Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-robinson/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > ['Lovecraft Country' is reclaiming all these pulp genres for people of color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-green/lovecraft-country-is-reclaiming-all-these-pulp-genres-for-people-of/) [Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/) > [No judge can stop us from praying for our country and I pray that on May 6, millions of Americans will join me in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-graham/no-judge-can-stop-us-from-praying-for-our-country-and-i-pray-that-on/) [Franklin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-graham/) [Browse all 29,881 Country quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Although lynchings have steadily increased in number and barbarity during the last twenty years, there has been no single effort put forth by the many moral and philanthropic forces of the country to put a stop to this wholesale slaughter.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ida B. Wells" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/although-lynchings-have-steadily-increased-in-number-and-barbarity/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Country" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/although-lynchings-have-steadily-increased-in-number-and-barbarity/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/ida-b-wells-16137_country_although-lynchings-have-steadily-increas_124219.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/ida-b-wells-16137_country_although-lynchings-have-steadily-increas_124219.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/ida-b-wells-16137_country_although-lynchings-have-steadily-increas_124219.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Although lynchings have steadily increased in number and barbarity during the last twenty years, there has…” — Ida B. Wells", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ida B. Wells", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Although lynchings have steadily increased in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/although-lynchings-have-steadily-increased-in-number-and-barbarity/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/although-lynchings-have-steadily-increased-in-number-and-barbarity/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```