Truth-Telling: Frances Willard and Ida B. Wells

Timeline

The story of the conflict between Frances Willard and Ida B. Wells begins in 1890, when Willard gave a newspaper interview about her views on the South’s “race problem.” A few years later, in 1894, Wells republished the interview and criticized Willard for her reluctance to condemn lynching. The controversy between the two prominent women continued for over a year.

Explore the timeline above to learn more about the conflict. Each page features at least one document that is crucial to understanding what happened and why it matters. You will also find brief in-line annotations that help fill in the gaps in the story.

The pages linked to the timeline also appear in the list below.

This page has paths:

  1. Truth-Telling: Frances Willard and Ida B. Wells Josh Honn

Contents of this path:

  1. Frances Willard and the "Race Problem"
  2. Ida B. Wells, Temperance, and "Race Progress"
  3. Ida B. Wells and "Lynch-Law"
  4. The WCTU and Lynching, 1893
  5. Ida B. Wells Abroad
  6. Willard and Somerset Respond
  7. Other Responses
  8. 1894 WCTU Convention and Its Aftermath
  9. 1895 WCTU Convention
  10. Postscripts