Frances Thompson was freed from slavery after the civil war. Not much is known about her before she was freed. She was living in Memphis at the time of the Memphis Riots of 1866 and testified to congress on the rape that occurred to her and her 16 year old roommate. Ten years later it was discovered that she was assigned male at birth. She was arrested for cross dressing and ordered to 5 years on a chain gang for this crime. She died later that year in prison.
Sources
- Drawing of Frances Thompson
This is the only known image of Frances Thompson. I have found this image in various locations on the web, but have yet to find its original source. If you know, please let me know! - The Reports of the Committees of the House of Representatives, Made During the First Session, Thirty-ninth Congress, 1865-’66, Volume 3
This volume includes the report on the Memphis Riots. Frances Thompson testified to congress during this trial, reporting on the rape and pillage that happened during this riot. A summary of the rape of Frances - Under False Colors
Printed in Memphis Avalanche on July 12, 1876. - Whenever you hear Radicals talking of….
This short piece was published in the Memphis Daily Appeal on July 16, 1876 on page 2. - The Southern Outrages. – Incredible Radical Stories
This article talks of the outrages in the South during after the Civil War. It mentions Memphis riots and Frances Thompson, along with other events. From the Cairo Bulletin. Cairo, Illinois. July 19, 1876. Page - Time Makes All Things Even At Last
This article in the Public Ledger in Memphis, TN, published July 19, 1876 on Page 2 shows the sentiment of many that the riots were all the fault of the black soldiers. They are using - Under False Colors – Reprint
From the The Pulaski Citizen, Pulaski, Tennessee. July 20, 1876. Reprinted from Memphis Avalanche. - “Your Old Father Abe Lincoln Is Dead and Damned”: Black Soldiers and the Memphis Race Riot of 1866
Kevin R. HardwickJournal of Social HistoryVol. 27, No. 1 (Autumn, 1993), pp. 109-128 (20 pages)Published By: Oxford University Press https://www.jstor.org/stable/3789131 - “Not That Sort of Woman” Race, Gender, and Sexual Violence during the Memphis Riot of 1866
This chapter by Hannah Rosen covers the Memphis Riot of 1866 and Frances Thompson’s involvement in the trial afterwards. This is a chapter in the book Sex, love, race: Crossing Boundaries in North American History