Alabama the Beautiful; they call it. Beautiful state indeed; however, some of the history of this great state can bring feelings of sorrow and despair. How could such tragic times leave such a permanent and long lasting impression one may ask. One incident in particular will surely leave a lasting impression on Alabama. In Pickens County, Henry Wells would forever be known as the man whose image was sketched into the Pickens County Courthouse window in Carrollton, Alabama. In the mid-1800s, Pickens County built their first courthouse which would later be burned to the ground on multiple occasions. A freed slave after the Civil War, Henry Wells was known to be a rebel and would be blamed for one of those fires. Sources say Wells was such a …show more content…
Seeing it as an opportunity of redemption, they rebuilt the courthouse, yet on November 16, 1876, bad luck would reoccur again. This time the finger would be pointed at a former African American slave by the name of Henry Wells. Already known for being defiant, rebellious and an outlaw to law enforcement, accusations were made that Wells and his accomplice, Bill Buckhalter, were involved in a robbery of a local store which led to Wells burning the courthouse the second time. Pickens County found themselves rebuilding their courthouse once again and this time they wanted blood from the individual they felt responsible for ruining it. In 1877, the courthouse was rebuilt and Wells was nominated as the candidate to be lynched for being the reason it had to be reconstructed. In December of 1878, Buckhalter was arrested for the robbery. Finally the cops had their hands on a suspect for the robbery, but once arrested, Buckhalter accused Wells of robbing the store and burning down the …show more content…
Although a bit creepy, this brief glimpse into history has educated me on a couple things. Wilson’s Raid and the things people endured following the American Civil War were all eye openers to me. Although briefly spoken about, I believe the most significant piece of this story is Wilson’s Raid, the first time the courthouse was burned down. Watching helplessly, there was nothing they could do about it at the time. Even the small band of confederates formed to intercept Wilson’s army proved to be unsuccessful. Once the Confederacy collapsed and the slaves got their freedom, the pressure for civil right would soon be in the midst; therefore, Wilson’s Raid was nothing more than a tour of more destruction to the south and another chance at humiliation to the confederates. Already in rage from their beloved courthouse being destroyed by fire once, with racism still crisp in the air, this community took Wells and attempted to make an example out of him. I believe this incident helps to lead the United States to civil rights. If gotten ahold of in time, the mob would have killed Wells and he never would have had an opportunity for a fair trial; nonetheless, no one would have been charged with murdering him. There were many events which led up to civil rights and the nation actually standing as one, I believe this is a small piece of the puzzle that when stumbled across
The Birmingham Church Bombing is possibly one of the most significant events in history throughout the segregation period, majorly for the African American communities that were affected by this time. The causes, nature, shot-term and long-term impacts of this bombing all play a role in its significance both at the time and today. As of the late 1960’s, Birmingham in Alabama was known to be one of America’s most segregated and racially discriminatory cities, due to the racism present in this city, it meant that there were many events of segregation that caused this bombing. At that time, the governor of Alabama, George Wallace was a leading figure of desegregation.
In May of 1856, a pro-slavery mob reeked havoc on the town of Lawrence, stealing property, demolishing buildings, and even setting the governor’s home on fire. Two days after the attack on Lawrence, a man named John Brown set out for vengeance.
Around 35 years after the civil war had ended, the South was still left producing a smaller percentage of the nation’s manufactured goods than it had before the war. However, in the 1880s, their economy was boosted when James Buchanan Duke developed an immense cigarette industry in the form of the American Tobacco Company and made several donations to Trinity College, which is currently known as Duke University. Henry W. Grady, editor of the Atlanta Constitution, was one of the men who supported and pushed for the industrialization of the South.
In the book, Praying for Sheetrock, the nonfiction story center on the oppressed black people in the county ruled by a corrupt sheriff Tom Poppell and his people and preyed on the tourists passing through the county on their way to Florida where residents rely on the goods from the wreckage. This is one of the way how people survive in the county and sheriff Tom Poppell is mainly responsible for this to happen. The white minority control almost all the political and economic power in the county. Even though there were many unfair and racial problems, the people in the county remained peaceful and calm. In order to make the community stays silence, sheriff Tom Poppell and his people used their power to make sure races in the county were divided.
Thomas and Meeks Griffin – the oldest case on this list dates back to 1915! The Griffin brothers, two black brothers who lived in Chester County, South Carolina were convicted of the murder in 1913 of 75-year-old John Q. Lewis (a white man). They were convicted because Monk Stevenson, a man suspected of committing the crime, blamed them of doing it because they were wealthy and he thought that they could pay for the bail. The Griffin brothers were completely innocent and they were put to death nonetheless. Two other African Americans, Nelson Brice and John Crosby were executed for the exact crime.
It is unfortunate that this had to happen but this benefited many more people than it harmed. In the next document a woman from Georgia gives a description of what the Union army did. The Union troops burnt every structure and took all of the grain and animals. They made it so it was almost impossible for the Southerners to survive without becoming scavengers. The woman feels strong hate towards the Union troops claiming that she would kill a Union troop.
Module 9 Discussion Assignment Yes LeeAnna Keith believes the failure of Reconstruction was due to racism. Angry whites, seething over blacks finally gaining similar rights and some political power, worked to undermine the efforts of Reconstruction. Keith describes the assault of the Grant Parish courthouse in Colfax, Louisiana in 1873. According to Keith, the event that took place at the courthouse was a microcosm of the general intolerance and unacceptance of post-slavery black progress by racist whites (403).
Daniel James Moody, Jr. was born on June 1st of 1893 in Taylor Texas. His father, Daniel James Moody Sr., was Taylor’s mayor-justice of the peace- school board chairman. His father was one of the towns first settlers in 1876. His mother, Nannie Elizabeth Robertson, was a local school teacher when she was married to Dan in 1890. His father was highly educated and graduated from the University of Texas Law School.
Not to mention, the story starts off in a courtroom because Abner Snopes burned down the property of Mr. Harris. Mr. Harris is landowner, who is left with a burned barn and no legal option. Snopes is advised to leave the country because the court can’t find enough evidence to sentence him. His son Sarty Snopes chooses to warn the owner. “Barn Burning” offers a helpful picture of how Faulkner sees the economics of the postbellum South, where the poor whites remain the underclass rivals of black sharecroppers (Pierce).
Contrary to popular belief, racism is still well alive in the United States, even in the 21st century. Many attempts have been made to terminate the unwanted social injustice, but its presence is still plainly evident today. Still, there have been many citizens who have become blind to racism. Despite slavery being abolished, and segregation outlawed, racism still exists. A minority in the United States would easily be able to explain in detail the evident facts of racism today, while most white persons will tell you that the country has reached racial equality.
In September 1862, a battle was fought in a small town in Maryland. More lives were lost than any other battle or war that the United States has ever experience before or since. This battle had no true winner but it did have consequeses that changed the course of the Civil War. In James M. McPherson’s book Crossroads of Freedom Antietam The Battle That Changed the Course of the Civil War, he shows how small events added up to lead to the Battle of Antietam and ultimately to the North winning the Civil War.
Treys Smedley The Pope County Militia War During this skirmish bushwhackers and jayhawkers took hundreds of acres. Pope County was in such bad shape that it went into martial law. This period from1865 to 1874 was the rebuilding time after the Civil War.
The living legacy of the United States Civil War is a complicated time in American history one finds difficult to describe. The ramification of the war prior, during and after still haunt the current citizens who call The States their home. Tony Horwitz’s book Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War looks at the wide gap of discontent that still looms in the late 1990s. For some southerners, the Confederacy still lives on through reenactments, stories and beliefs. For others in the South, reminders the land was dedicated to the Confederacy spark hatred and spite.
The seemingly endless battle for civil rights was one fought long and hard and during the 20th century a time of fruition occurred that allowed for concrete and tangible progress though the efforts of many, including key black intellectual revolutionaries. The call to freedom, and the fight for civil liberties to be bestowed upon people of color, who for hundreds of years were perceived as subordinate was happening. Change was fought through self-determination, and a burgeoning of powerful ideologies that laid the foundation for movement to be made. The admirable actions of women have been slighted, as they are almost non-existent in the pages of our history books. The contributions of the civil right movement have many a time excluded the contributions of prominent African American woman who tirelessly fought.
Could you ever possibly imagine a time where you couldn’t use the same bathroom as some of your classmates because the had a different skin color? This time in history was known as the Civil Rights Movement, a movement from 1954-1954, in which people fought against racism. Although the Civil Rights Movement mainly affected African Americans, but involved all of American society. Because most racism against ancient African Americans took place in southern United States, civil rights was extremely important to African Americans who lived in the south. Racism was so widely spread it even found its way into professional sports.