The St. Bernard Parish massacre occurred on April 13, 1868, in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, during the Reconstruction era. A group of white supremacists attacked a political gathering of African Americans, killing around 35 people and injuring many more. The gathering was held by black and white Republicans to organize support for a local candidate. The attackers were members of the Ku Klux Klan and the White League, two violent groups that sought to maintain white supremacy in the South. The massacre was one of many acts of political violence that occurred during Reconstruction, as white supremacists attempted to resist the political and social changes brought about by Reconstruction policies. The massacre shocked the nation and led to calls for federal intervention to protect the civil rights of black citizens.
