Suzanne marshall from its settlement in the late 1700s, the black patch an agricultural region of western kentucky and middle tennessee has been known for its darkfired, heavyleafed tobacco, so dark a green. The socalled black patch consists of about 30 counties in southwestern kentucky and northwestern tennessee. The black patch war constituted one of the most serious domestic threats to civil government in twentiethcentury america. The names of those who left for mississippi included henry gant and family, bud wilson, and john ritter. The mccoys lived mostly in kentucky and the hatfields lived mostly in west virginia, but there are family members in both states. Gum grove farm destroyed by night riders in black patch war. The black patch tobacco war download free software.
During the first decade of the twentieth century, violence erupted in the tobacco belt of western kentucky and northern middle tennessee as farmers tried to. The silent brigade was a guerrilla army that terrorized western kentucky in a conflict that came to be known as the black patch war. Here on december 1, 1906, began black patch war, which lasted to the end of 1908. The black patch war notable kentucky african americans database. City of princeton 1937 the first black patch festival. Come face to face with masked vigilantes of the black patch tobacco war at the pennyroyal area museums kentucky agriculture exhibit. Negro exodus hopkinsville, ky notable kentucky african. The great depression 19291939 also caused many to lose their jobs. Come face to face with masked vigilantes of the black patch. Dark tobacco district planters protective association. In 1908, during the black patch war, the residence and all the structures on the cardin farm were destroyed by fire.
Black patch wars, night riders topics at trigg bicentennial. The george coon public library, together with kentucky chautauqua, will present price hollowell. The kentucky state guard in the black patch war of 19071909. The black patch war began in 1904 in the western regions of kentucky and tennessee.
Western kentucky black patch war, 1904 kentucky historical society. The black patch tobacco war or the great tobacco strike in southwestern kentucky and northern tennessee extended from 1904 to 1909. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. Restoring law and order black patch war 19071909 the kentucky state guard in the black patch war of 19071909 a monograph by maj andrew j. It is furnished with a brass butt plate, trigger guard, large patch box, side plate thimbles, and nose cap. See also the black patch war entry in the kentucky encyclopedia. The black patch war of the early 20th century was instigated by extremely depressed prices for tobacco crops, most notably the darktobacco area of western. The cardinal was adopted as kentucky s state bird and the goldenrod as the state flower in 1926. The black patch war 19041909 succeeded in breaking up the monopoly and tobacco auctions were adopted. The black patch tobacco wars was a period of violence in the dark tobacco region of the u. The black patch war was a result of a monopoly of a tobacco rebel coompany in the early 1900s. In 1904, when tobacco farmers of kentucky and tennessee formed an.
This area was known as the black patch because it produced so much darkfired tobacco, which was used primarily in the production of snuff and chewing tobacco. Night riders during the period between 1900 and 1906 trouble began to brew among the tobacco men of the state, especially in the black patch area around hopkinsville. Its a far cry from the early days of darkfired production, particularly the infamous black patch war of the 1900s, when western kentucky farmers banded together to form a coop and hold out. In 1903, growers in the black patch had to stand helplessly as the trust cut prices for their leaf to four and even two cents a pound. The black patch war, like much human conflict, was rooted in economics, specifically the monopolistic practices of the american tobacco company. Violence, religion and the black patch war, 19041914. The association soon developed into a group of armed and hooded night riders whose actions went from boycotting to violence. This is a history of the night rider movement an outgrowth of the black patch tobacco wars in western kentucky from 1905 to 1912 ot so. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. The black patch region also includes counties in northwestern tennessee.
Bates, kentucky army national guard our flag pdf 1 mb flag etiquette guide printed by the department of military affairs circa 1986. The united states colored troops were all african american units that were commanded by whites. They raided princeton, hopkinsville, and russellville, kentucky. The black patch tobacco war of western kentucky the good lord never got any thousand or so men together for any purpose without a liberal assortment of sons of bitches thrown in. The dark tobacco district planters protective association of kentucky and tennessee, 19041914, ph. You can check it out here kentucky s black patch tobacco wars. Jun 07, 2012 violence, religion and the black patch war, 19041914. Entire towns were captured, there were hangings and killings, and tobacco warehouses were burned. Sep 23, 2014 the black patch tobacco war of western kentucky the good lord never got any thousand or so men together for any purpose without a liberal assortment of sons of bitches thrown in. Jul 25, 2017 the black patch tobacco wars was a period of violence in the dark tobacco region of the u. October 2, 2014 1 comment black patch tobacco war kelli schrieber kentucky history kentucky monthly mask scary kentucky monthly cover october this scary cover accompanies a story about the black patch tobacco war over the early 1900s. The remarkable story of the black patch tobacco wars 6 photos. Young price hollowell made them eat those words in one of the most remarkable episodes of the black patch war, a western kentucky conflict that featured mayhem and murder. When the night riders attacked the hollowell farm in caldwell county on the night of may 2, 1907, one of them boasted, we night riders fear no judge or jury.
The night riders, robert penn warren november 30, 1906. People in kentucky lost work as the demand for coal decreased during the 1920s. The american tobacco company was paying less for dark tobacco than it cost farmers to grow it. The tobacco wars affected the entire darkfired tobacco region in western kentucky and tennessee. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Farmers in western kentucky and in tennessee fought back against the rule of the company. Black patch war a current events news and politics. The onepiece stock is oilfinished walnut, and the lock plate is casehardened.
As the 20th century dawned, big business came to the dark tobacco growing region of kentucky and tennessee, eliminating competition. The term black patch referred to the region of the two states noted for the growth of. Check out what princeton, ky and adams, tn have to offer. Collectively, these acts of violence became known as the black patch war. The black patch war, like much human conflict, was rooted in. By 1909 to 1910, the tides turned for tobacco farmers. The conflict took place in southwestern kentucky and northern tennessee, between paducah and nashville.
Cardin was known for his unprecedented farming enterprise in crittenden county, kentucky, in the early 1900s. Guys are gonna wanna, go out and play sometime just take this advice i give possum hunters posse up, now its in the name of the father we ride, right or wrong. Originally known as the silent brigade, the night riders were a vigilante force. Interested in learning about other events connected to this period in history. Klette was the master armorer at the rappahannock forge in falmouth, va during the revolutionary war, and his home was the crossroads of stevensburg in culpeper county, va outside of fredericksburg, va 6. The black patch war notable kentucky african americans. According to history, in 1908 the black patch war ended when the associations demands were honored by the american tobacco company.
But as the settlers of this region sowed the seeds of tobacco, they also sowed the seeds of violence. The kentucky state guards campaign against the silent brigade in 19071909 offers lessons for the operational art of civil security and supporting civil law enforcement. Prices for tobacco had been down since the late 1890s. Violence in the black patch of kentucky and tennessee. Buy a genuine kentucky tobacco walking stick in our museum. Confronted by the dual specter of prices below the cost of production and the monopolistic american tobacco company atc. Founded in 1890 by james buchanan duke, younger son of tobacco farmer washington duke, the north carolina family corporation had established itself as an international consortium that could dictate its. The term black patch referred to the region of the two states noted for the growth of darkfired tobacco.
The black patch tobacco wars were a period of civil unrest and violence in the western counties of the u. Recently did some research on this crazy period in southwest kentucky from 19041910 and put together a little photo history of it. Recon team kentucky beret insert patch macv vietnam war. Rick gregory, robertson county and the black patch war, 19041909, tennessee historical quarterly 39 fall 1980. The black patch region of kentucky and tennessee which took its name from the dark, heavyleafed, firecured tobacco grown in the area, contained the proper human and physical characteristics to make it one of the major growing regions in the united states by 1900. The signed, frederick klette rifle of circa 177580 fig.
A faction of farmers in western kentucky violently opposed tobacco monopolies and persecuted those farmers who sympathized with the monopolies. The kentucky rifle is one of the most popular american long guns. Christopher waldrep, planters and planters protective association in kentucky and tennessee. Since this monograph is focused on the actions of the kentucky state guard, which confined its operations to the kentucky side of the border, events and data from the tennessee portion of the black patch are excluded from consideration. Examine photos, tools of the tobacco trade, and a display of locallygrown tobacco leaves. In violence in the black patch of kentucky and tennessee, suzanne marshall. From its settlement in the late 1700s, the black patch an agricultural region of western kentucky and middle tennesseehas been known for its darkfired, heavyleafed tobacco, so green that it is called black.
Confronted by the dual specter of prices below the cost of production and the monopolistic american tobacco company atc, growers in. The black patch war of the early 20th century was instigated by extremely depressed prices for tobacco crops, most notably the dark tobacco area of western kentucky and western tennessee, and was directed by one of the historically largest industrial u. In the small town of hopkinsville, ky, my home community, a group of farmers started a rebel group called the. Recon team kentucky beret insert patch macv vietnam. From nkaa, notable kentucky african americans database source the black patch war. Its a fascinating piece of american history the tobacco farmer versus the american tobacco company, which is becoming a monopoly in the world of tobacco. Most of the violence was centered in the black patch dark fired tobacco area of western kentucky and tennessee. During the 1904 harvesting season, facing impoverishment, planters of the local elite called a meeting in guthrie, kentucky, on the tennessee border.
The kentucky state guards successful campaign in the black patch war has 1 kentucky state guard was the name in 19071909 for the organization known today as the kentucky national guard. In the small town of hopkinsville, ky, my home community, a group of farmers started a rebel group called the association, later renamed the night riders. For more see negro exodus, hopkinsville kentuckian, 02231904, p. After the signing of the second confiscation and militia act and the signing of the emancipation proclamation, african american men were allowed to enlist in the union army. Since this region was known for growing darkfired tobacco, it was called the black patch war. During the first part of the 1900s, problems over the price of tobacco turned to violence in the northern part of tennessee. After the civil war industrial and commercial recovery was aided by increased railroad construction, but farmers were plagued by the liabilities of the onecrop tobacco system. See more ideas about kentucky, patches and my old kentucky. Kentucky article about kentucky by the free dictionary. These later became known as the black patch tobacco wars.
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