On August 13, a black man is arrested in Springfield, Illinois, accused of rape by a married white woman who will later admit to having lied to cover up an affair.

On August 14, 5000 armed white people gather at the jail to lynch the man and another black prisoner. When they learn that the men have been transferred, they attack businesses owned by whites they perceive as allies of blacks. A former home of Abraham Lincoln barely escapes destruction.

The mob turns to black neighborhoods and businesses, looting, setting fires, and beating and lynching black people. 7 to 17 people are killed over three days, before the state militia arrives.

For decades, local whites claim falsely that more white than black people had died. Only one rioter is convicted. Many black people flee Springfield.