1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,840 Speaker 1: Hello, everyone, it's Eves checking in here to let you 2 00:00:02,880 --> 00:00:04,960 Speaker 1: know that you're going to be hearing two different events 3 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:07,440 Speaker 1: in history in this episode. They're both good. If I 4 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:12,440 Speaker 1: do say so myself. On with the show. Hello, Welcome 5 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:15,280 Speaker 1: to this day History class, where wead desk off a 6 00:00:15,360 --> 00:00:27,280 Speaker 1: little piece of history every day. The day was April 7 00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:34,199 Speaker 1: eighteen seventy three. On Easter Sunday in Colefax, Louisiana, a 8 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:38,040 Speaker 1: massacre broke out in the aftermath of a controversial election 9 00:00:38,120 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 1: for the governor of the state. The conflict had started 10 00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:45,200 Speaker 1: months before as a battle between white Southern Democrats who 11 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:48,320 Speaker 1: wanted to keep restricting the rights of formerly enslaved people, 12 00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:55,080 Speaker 1: and Republicans who advocated for reconciliation and black emancipation. But 13 00:00:55,240 --> 00:01:00,280 Speaker 1: on April the clash turned into a bloody tragedy. As 14 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:03,040 Speaker 1: many as one hundred and fifty black people were killed, 15 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:06,880 Speaker 1: while three white folks died. It was one of the 16 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 1: deadliest incidents of racial and political violence during the Reconstruction Era, 17 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:15,080 Speaker 1: or the period in American history right after the Civil War. 18 00:01:16,319 --> 00:01:20,080 Speaker 1: Though the Reconstruction Era was generally a tumultuous period, the 19 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:23,759 Speaker 1: massacre led to the Supreme Court case United States versus 20 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:29,200 Speaker 1: Crookshank and encouraged the institution of the Jim Crow system. 21 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:32,560 Speaker 1: The Reconstruction era was fraught with violent racial incidents and 22 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:37,480 Speaker 1: domestic terrorism from white supremacy adherents, people who wanted to 23 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:40,480 Speaker 1: hold onto the values of the Old South, and others 24 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:43,240 Speaker 1: who wanted to move forward with reconstruction where it odds 25 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 1: and this was evident in the eighteen seventy two election 26 00:01:47,319 --> 00:01:53,200 Speaker 1: for Louisiana's governor, William Pitt Kellogg, the Republican candidate, went 27 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 1: up against John mcinnery, who was nominated by a so 28 00:01:56,600 --> 00:02:02,280 Speaker 1: called fusionist coalition of liberal Republicans and conservative Democrats. The 29 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:05,760 Speaker 1: results of the election were widely disputed, and each side 30 00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:10,080 Speaker 1: claimed to have the legitimate governor. President Ulysses S. Grant 31 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:14,919 Speaker 1: supported Kellogg and the Reconstructionist Republicans by sending federal troops 32 00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 1: to Louisiana, but the fight over who had political control continued. 33 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:23,919 Speaker 1: In Grant Parish, there were about twenty four hundred formerly 34 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:27,880 Speaker 1: enslaved people who mainly voted Republican, and there were about 35 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 1: hundred mostly Democratic white people. There was debate over control 36 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:36,800 Speaker 1: of the courthouse at Colfax and Grant Parish but the 37 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:41,160 Speaker 1: reconstructionist Republicans ended up seizing it, so just in case, 38 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:44,480 Speaker 1: the Democrats decided to take back the regional government and 39 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 1: all black militia set up at the Colfax Courthouse on 40 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:52,160 Speaker 1: the other side of the aisle. White Democrats organized a 41 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:57,520 Speaker 1: militia to take the courthouse. On April one. Fusionists James w. 42 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:00,839 Speaker 1: Had Not went to the courthouse with about fourteen men, 43 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:03,920 Speaker 1: but they realized they couldn't take on the militia that 44 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 1: was there. The Republicans responded by raiding their rivals homes. 45 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:11,639 Speaker 1: News of the raids spread and by the next day 46 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:16,840 Speaker 1: battles had erupted. The fighting continued for several days until 47 00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:20,200 Speaker 1: it came to a head on April thirteenth, eighteen seventy three. 48 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:24,679 Speaker 1: Somewhere around one hundred and fifty white people, including ones 49 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:27,760 Speaker 1: from white supremacist groups like the Knights of White Camellia 50 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 1: and the Ku Klux Klan, surrounded the courthouse. About one 51 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:34,720 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty black men ended up fighting on the 52 00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:39,080 Speaker 1: Republican side, led by a Civil War veteran named William Ward, 53 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:44,160 Speaker 1: but their weapons were no match for the rifles, shotguns, pistols, 54 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 1: and hunting knives that the white folks had. Some of 55 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:52,400 Speaker 1: the black militia men fled while others surrendered. The white 56 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 1: people fired a cannon on the black people and eventually 57 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 1: set the courthouse on fire. The black man surrendered, but 58 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:04,480 Speaker 1: the white mob wasn't done. They captured, be shot and 59 00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 1: hanged a lot of the black militia men. By the 60 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:10,960 Speaker 1: end of the night, anywhere from sixty two to a 61 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:14,760 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty three people have been killed. Three of 62 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:18,200 Speaker 1: those people were white, but it's not clear exactly how 63 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:22,360 Speaker 1: many black people died. News of the massacre soon made 64 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:26,960 Speaker 1: its way around the country. In the end, white people 65 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:30,120 Speaker 1: who had committed the massacre were indicted, but only three 66 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 1: were found guilty. Nine were charged with violating the Enforcement 67 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:38,760 Speaker 1: Acts of eighteen seventy and eighteen seventy one. The Enforcement Acts, 68 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 1: also known as the Ku Klux Klan Acts, were meant 69 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:44,520 Speaker 1: to protect the rights of black people under the fourteenth 70 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:48,839 Speaker 1: and fifteenth amendments to the U s Constitution. Lawyers thought 71 00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:51,480 Speaker 1: it would be better to get the defendants on conspiracy 72 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:55,400 Speaker 1: to commit what we now consider hate crimes rather than murder. 73 00:04:56,080 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 1: But in United States versus Crookshank, the Supreme Court ruled 74 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 1: that the due process in equal protection clauses only applied 75 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:08,240 Speaker 1: to actions of the state, not individuals. It also said 76 00:05:08,279 --> 00:05:11,520 Speaker 1: that racist intent had to be explicitly alleged for it 77 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:15,160 Speaker 1: to be actionable at law, and that the federal government 78 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:20,200 Speaker 1: could not prosecute people for violating black folks civil rights. 79 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:25,520 Speaker 1: Soon enough, segregation would start to become law. On April thirteenth, nine, 80 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:28,840 Speaker 1: a memorial to the white people who had died in 81 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:33,800 Speaker 1: the massacre was unveiled at Colfax Cemetery. An inscription on 82 00:05:33,839 --> 00:05:37,600 Speaker 1: the monument read erected to the memory of the heroes 83 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:43,280 Speaker 1: Stephen Decatur, Parish James West had not Sidney Harris, who 84 00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:46,640 Speaker 1: fell in the coal Fax riot fighting for white supremacy. 85 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:52,279 Speaker 1: April thirteenth, eighteen seventy three. I'm Eaves deaf Coote and 86 00:05:52,279 --> 00:05:55,240 Speaker 1: hopefully you know a little more about history today than 87 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:58,880 Speaker 1: you did yesterday. If there are any upcoming days in 88 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:01,719 Speaker 1: history that you really like me to cover on the show, 89 00:06:02,080 --> 00:06:05,000 Speaker 1: give us a shout on social media at t d 90 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 1: i h C Podcast. We'll see you here in the 91 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:19,599 Speaker 1: same place tomorrow. Hi everyone, I'm Eves and welcome to 92 00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:22,680 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class, a podcast for people who 93 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:35,039 Speaker 1: can never know enough about history. The day was April 94 00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:41,560 Speaker 1: nineteen fifty three. The US Central Intelligence Agency authorized Project 95 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:45,599 Speaker 1: in k Ultra, in which the CIA conducted experiments on 96 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:49,159 Speaker 1: people with the goal of developing drugs and procedures that 97 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:53,240 Speaker 1: could be used for mind control. In April of nineteen 98 00:06:53,279 --> 00:06:57,159 Speaker 1: fifty three, the Korean War was nearing its end. The 99 00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 1: war was one between communists North Korea capitalist South Korea. 100 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:04,880 Speaker 1: The US sent a lot of aid to South Korea 101 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:07,720 Speaker 1: and spent tens of billions of dollars on the war. 102 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:11,800 Speaker 1: During the Korean War, rumors spread that North Korea and 103 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 1: the powers on its side, including the Soviet Union in China, 104 00:07:15,520 --> 00:07:21,400 Speaker 1: were subjecting American prisoners of war to communist brainwashing. Newly 105 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:25,600 Speaker 1: appointed CIA Director Allan Welsh Dullis wanted the US to 106 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:28,720 Speaker 1: develop its own techniques for mind control to use on 107 00:07:28,800 --> 00:07:33,120 Speaker 1: its captives. On April tenth, nineteen fifty three, Dullis gave 108 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:36,080 Speaker 1: a speech at the National Alumni Conference of the Graduate 109 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:39,760 Speaker 1: Council of Princeton University. In it, he said the following, 110 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:44,360 Speaker 1: the Soviets are now using brain perversion techniques as one 111 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 1: of their main weapons and prosecuting the Cold War some 112 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:50,920 Speaker 1: of these techniques are so subtle and so abhorrent to 113 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:54,120 Speaker 1: our way of life that we have recoiled from facing 114 00:07:54,200 --> 00:07:58,440 Speaker 1: up to them. Dullis said that the brain warfare that 115 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:02,080 Speaker 1: the Soviets were committing could turn people into quote humble 116 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:05,720 Speaker 1: confessors of crimes they never committed, or make them the 117 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:11,000 Speaker 1: mouthpiece for Soviet propaganda. Talk of Communist brainwashing spread through 118 00:08:11,040 --> 00:08:15,280 Speaker 1: the US media and politics. Three days after his speech, 119 00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:19,600 Speaker 1: on April, Dulles approved the launch of the CIA program 120 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:23,640 Speaker 1: mk Ultra. The program's aim was to develop mind controlling 121 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:26,800 Speaker 1: drugs for use on US prisoners of war in response 122 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:30,800 Speaker 1: to alleged Chinese, Soviet, and North Korean mind control techniques. 123 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:34,640 Speaker 1: The CIA looked to create a truth drug for interrogating 124 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:38,040 Speaker 1: prisoners of war and captured spies. It also wanted to 125 00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:41,960 Speaker 1: develop drugs that would render CIA agents immune to enemies 126 00:08:42,080 --> 00:08:45,720 Speaker 1: mind control techniques. In addition to this, the agency sought 127 00:08:45,760 --> 00:08:49,959 Speaker 1: to create a brainwashed, programmable assassin and figure out how 128 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:55,040 Speaker 1: to manipulate foreign leaders. Through mk ULTRA, the CIA's Office 129 00:08:55,120 --> 00:08:59,400 Speaker 1: of Scientific Intelligence organized the project and coordination with the 130 00:08:59,480 --> 00:09:03,840 Speaker 1: U s r ME Biological Warfare Laboratories. Chemist Sydney got 131 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:08,120 Speaker 1: Leave headed up the project. Many of mk ultra's experiments 132 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:13,520 Speaker 1: involved the covert administration of LSD, hallucinogenic drug. The drug 133 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:18,840 Speaker 1: was secretly given to CIA employees, US soldiers, and psychiatric patients. 134 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:24,240 Speaker 1: Other techniques employed to alter subjects mental states included hypnosis, 135 00:09:24,559 --> 00:09:31,439 Speaker 1: radiological implants, electroshock therapy, sensory deprivation, verbal and sexual abuse, 136 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:36,160 Speaker 1: and isolation. Many of the experiments conducted were done without 137 00:09:36,240 --> 00:09:40,880 Speaker 1: the subject's knowledge or consent. Some subjects volunteered freely or 138 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:47,440 Speaker 1: under coercion. Dozens of institutions, including universities, hospitals, prisons, and 139 00:09:47,679 --> 00:09:53,600 Speaker 1: drug companies, participated in mk ULTRA. Not all academic researchers 140 00:09:53,679 --> 00:09:56,280 Speaker 1: knew that the CIA was using their work for mind 141 00:09:56,320 --> 00:10:00,840 Speaker 1: controlled purposes, since they were often funded through front organizations. 142 00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:05,040 Speaker 1: After a member of the CIA inspector General staff learned 143 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:09,360 Speaker 1: about the program's experimentation on non voluntary subjects, the operation 144 00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:13,120 Speaker 1: was scaled back and had to follow new guidelines. In 145 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:17,000 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy three, CIA director Richard Helms ordered files when 146 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:22,120 Speaker 1: mk ULTRA destroyed. In nineteen seventy five, reports from the 147 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:26,120 Speaker 1: Church Committee and Rockefeller Commission revealed to the public the 148 00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:30,040 Speaker 1: existence of the mk ULTRA experiments. In response to a 149 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:33,680 Speaker 1: Freedom of Information Act request in nineteen seventy seven, the 150 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:38,160 Speaker 1: CIA uncovered thousands of additional mk ultra files. They were 151 00:10:38,160 --> 00:10:41,160 Speaker 1: the subject of Senate hearings that took place later that year. 152 00:10:42,679 --> 00:10:45,800 Speaker 1: At least one death is attributed to the project, but 153 00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:50,280 Speaker 1: because of the circumstances surrounding the covert operation, its true 154 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:54,520 Speaker 1: impact may never be known. In two thousand and one, 155 00:10:53,760 --> 00:10:58,000 Speaker 1: and some documents related to mk Ultra were to classified. 156 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:02,120 Speaker 1: I'm e Jeff Coote and hopefully you know a little 157 00:11:02,120 --> 00:11:06,200 Speaker 1: more about history today than you did yesterday. You can 158 00:11:06,280 --> 00:11:09,199 Speaker 1: learn more about history by following us on Facebook, Twitter, 159 00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:13,760 Speaker 1: or Instagram at t d I h C podcast. You 160 00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:15,439 Speaker 1: can also send us an email if you have any 161 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:21,160 Speaker 1: questions or comments at this day at iHeartMedia dot com. 162 00:11:21,160 --> 00:11:23,840 Speaker 1: Thanks again for tuning in and we'll see you tomorrow. 163 00:11:29,559 --> 00:11:31,880 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from I Heart Radio, visit the iHeart 164 00:11:31,960 --> 00:11:34,400 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 165 00:11:34,400 --> 00:11:35,080 Speaker 1: favorite shows.