A Federal law against Lynchings
In April 1918, Congressman Leonidas C. Dyer (R-Missouri) introduced an anti-lynching bill in the House of Representatives, based on a bill drafted by NAACP founder Albert E. Pillsbury in 1901. The bill called for the prosecution of lynchers in federal court. State officials who failed to protect lynching victims or prosecute lynchers could face five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. The victim’s heirs could recover up to $10,000 from the county where the crime occurred. After a prolonged fight, the House passed the Dyer Bill on January 26, 1922 by a vote of 230 to 119, but a filibuster by Southern Democrats defeated the bill in the Senate.
In April 1918, Congressman Leonidas C. Dyer (R-Missouri) introduced an anti-lynching bill in the House of Representatives, based on a bill drafted by NAACP founder Albert E. Pillsbury in 1901. The bill called for the prosecution of lynchers in federal court. State officials who failed to protect lynching victims or prosecute lynchers could face five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. The victim’s heirs could recover up to $10,000 from the county where the crime occurred. After a prolonged fight, the House passed the Dyer Bill on January 26, 1922 by a vote of 230 to 119, but a filibuster by Southern Democrats defeated the bill in the Senate.