 Chicago. In the midst of a war. Not a war between nations, but a war between races. Whites versus blacks. Riots in the streets and dozens left dead. This is the story of the event that would be remembered in history as the Red Summer. The Red Summer of 1919 was the breaking point of the ever rising tension surrounding the migration during World War I of African Americans from the south to the cities in the north. Once the war was over, thousands of soldiers returned home to find their jobs and factories filled by previously southern blacks. Radical and ethical prejudices were all over. Adding to the tension was how little freedom African American soldiers had once they returned home, being denied basic rights such as adequate housing and equality under the law. During this time, the white supremacist group Klu Klux Klan revived its violent acts throughout the south. During the summer of 1919, riots across the US would break out in areas like Washington DC, Knoxville, Tennessee, Omaha, Nebraska, and many more. None, though, were as dramatic as the events that occurred in Chicago. It was July 27, 1919, the fateful day that would cause the next week to reign violence on the streets of Chicago. Eugene Williams, an African American citizen, had gone with some friends to swim at their local beach. In the midst of everything, Eugene crossed the lines between the blacks and the whitesides, and soon Eugene was being stoned from the beachside by a group of white men. Eugene was struck and then drowned. When the police arrived at the scene and were informed of the situation by several eyewitnesses, the officers refused to arrest the white men. Instead, the police arrested a black man. Black bystanders watched and objected only to be met with violence by the whites. Soon, white and black mobs had erupted all over the city. Lasting nearly a week, the Chicago riots were finally coming to a close after the government had deployed 6,000 National Guard infantrymen. These men were stationed around the black belt to prevent any further white attacks. By the evening of July 30, most violence had ended. The majority of the rioting, murder, and arson was the result of white ethnic groups attacking the African American population in the city's black belt on the south side. Most of the casualties and property damage were suffered by the black Chicagoans. Over the five days, a total of 38 people had been killed, 23 of those being African American, and 15 being white. Along with 537 injuries, two-thirds of that being African American. By the end of the riots, approximately 1,000 residents, mostly African American, were left homeless due to arson attacks. Many African American families had left by train before the rioting ended, returning to their families in the south. It was suggested to implement zoning laws that would formally segregate housing in Chicago, and place restrictions preventing blacks from working alongside whites in the stockyard, though these measures were rejected by African American and liberal white voters. President Woodrow Wilson publicly blamed the whites for being the instigators of the race-related riots in both Chicago and Washington D.C., and introduced efforts to foster racial harmony, including voluntary organizations and congressional legislation. The summer of 1919, later to be known as the Red Summer, marked the beginning of a growing willingness amongst African Americans to fight for their rights in the face of oppression and injustice.