Almanac of Absurdities 11/10/10

On this date in 1898, the only recorded example of a violent municipal overthrow in US History occurs in Wilmington North Carolina. Heavily Armed White Supremacists with a wagon-mounted Gatling Gun took over the community by force and instituted its own chosen city government, at the cost of anywhere from 6 to 100 lives…all black. The Governor, and President William McKinley were well aware, but did nothing.