In 1711, New York City had 6,000 to 8,000 residents, with about 1,000 enslaved individuals. Their separate ownership allowed the enslaved frequent contact with each other. Enslaved workers would roam the city looking for work, allowing them to fraternize. More African compatriots arrived by the transatlantic slave route daily. This made whites nervous.

Following the federal troop withdrawal in 1877, white supremacists soon ruled the Southern states with violence and speed.