Still way to go to reach 1900 levels again (and therefore European levels).
The 1900 stats are very dubious. Crime reporting wasn't all that consistent in theold days. If a black person was murdered, or lynched, local enforcement didn't always take it seriously. Also, denying that there is a racial element to the high American murder rate is rather counter-productive to anybody who sincerely cares about murders as a real problem. Oddly enough, it's also something only white people do. Black people, the overwhelming majority of whom are not murderers, of course, do not kid themselves about the problems in their communities. They know better than anybody what's going on.
Also, part of the drop in recent years is about improvements in medical treatment. It's only a murder if the victim dies. Trauma units can do amazing things today, and you see a similar reduction in deaths from motor vehicle accidents.
