Thread by @AfricanArchives

Did you know Black Kids were once used as alligator bait?

⬇️ A THREAD ⬇️

Alligator hunting was very profitable in the 1800-1900's. The skin was used to make shoes, bags, belts and other items.

However, white hunters often lost their arms and sometimes their lives as they attempting to attract alligators to the Surface so they decided to use ‘bait’

Little black children were used as bait to catch alligators. Some say it was done by white men during slave times in Florida and Louisiana and other parts of the American South.

Here is the most complete account of how it was done, coming from the grandson of someone who says he used to do it:

The slaves who had babies they would steal the babies during the course of the day, some times when their mothers weren't watching…

He said they would grab these children and take them down to the swamp, and sometime leave them in pens like little chicken coops. They would go down there at night, take these babies and tie them up, put a rope around their neck and around their torso and tie it tight.

He said when they would throw the babies in tied to this rope and in a matter of minutes, the alligator were on them.

He said the alligator would clamp his jaws on the child and once he clamped on them you couldn't see anything but the rope.

This horrendous act was later characterized in sheet music, post Cards and figurines.

Years later, a candy Manufacturer of black licorice drops created a distasteful advertisement that featured a hungry looking alligator leering at a black baby.

You can support my history page/project here through donations/tips to help us keep up on: ko-fi.com/africanarchives