And The Dead Shall Rise: The Murder of Mary Phagan & the Lynching of Leo Frank

A detailed account of the case of Leo Frank, his trial and wrongful conviction in Atlanta for the murder in 1913 of Mary Phagan, the commutation of his sentence, and his subsequent lynching by a mob in 1915. Antisemitism is discussed in terms of the insecurity of the local Jewish community, the trial itself, public opinion, and the influence of prejudice fanned by newspapermen like Tom Watson. Some Jews viewed Frank as an American Dreyfus. Prevalent anti-Jewish stereotypes that played a role in determining Frank's fate were those of Jews as sexual perverts, rich exploiters, and outsiders (specifically Yankees). Attempts to defend Frank were often delegated to non-Jews in an effort to avoid increasing antisemitism.