Originally known as the silent brigade, the night riders were a vigilante force. Former night rider milton oliver on his tobacco patch. This famous kentuckian, from lexington, kentucky was a leader in the womens rights movement becoming president of the kentucky equal rights association in 1912. Wilburn s actions helped bring law and order to the region. Night riders terrorized buyers and growers in an effort to stage an effective boycott against monopolistic practices of buyers. These later became known as the black patch tobacco wars.
Oral history interviews about the black patch war and the night riders can be. The black patch turns violent amoss, who was clearly a force behind the possum hunters, had been a cadet and drill master at major ferrells military school in hopkinsville, ky used his military background to began training his groups in a military fashion. A ballad of the night riders, a musical about the tobacco wars that took place in robertson county and kentucky, is also in the lineup this year. As part of it, we interviewed historian and public speaker rick gregory, and. The price of tobacco had been artificially suppressed and as a consequence the people in these communities suffered greatly. During the first part of the 1900s, problems over the price of tobacco turned to violence in the northern part of tennessee. On the night of december 1, 1906, two hundred night riders rode into princeton, took possession of the town and proceeded at leisure to burn the largest tobacco factories int he world, filled with tobacco purchased from the british market. The home was situated on a knoll with a view of the beautiful 1,200acre farm known as gum grove. 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. This daylong series of events commemorates a period of agricultural crisis, economic boycott, and vigilante rebellion that affected every aspect of life in the region. Duke was the main player, or the instigator as some would call it, in the black patch war. Bruce wilsons emotionally rich death in the black patch paints a portrait of early twentiethcentury life in the american south. Black patch war t he black patch war began in 1904 in the western regions of kentucky and tennessee. The museums of historic hopkinsvillechristian county announces the 5 th annual tobacco war pilgrimage to be held on saturday, september 24, 2016.
Unit 3 pre test his 240 history of kentucky flashcards. How quickly we can become other when product and money are the carrot. It seemed like a good example to the lake county residents. Captain newton jasper wilburn november 9, 1874 january 31, 1927 was a kentucky national guard officer who played a crucial part in ending the black patch tobacco wars, the most sustained and violent civil uprising in america since the civil war. In 1908, during the black patch war, the residence and all the structures on the cardin farm were destroyed by fire. Lieutenant wilburn was rewarded with a promotion to captain. War in the black patch 1906 1911 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. Understanding the black patch tobacco war of west kentucky and. Since this region was known for growing darkfired tobacco, it was called the black patch war.
The state militia had expanded its reach beyond the major cities of the black patch and began a successful programme of patrols that captured and disarmed several night rider bands, while court actions, when held outside the dwindling strongholds of night rider support, returned heavy verdicts and fines against captured members. War between tobacco farmers and buyers over price of tobacco. Night riders formed the local residents had read about night riders in the black patch war in middle tennessee and kentucky. Collectively, these acts of violence became known as the black patch war. As a result of dukes actions, the black patch tobacco war began in western kentucky. Big business, unions, scabs, underlying racism it is a frightful story. Trust one of the first and largest of the worlds multinational corporations, whose absolute. However, the violent tactics of the night riders whippings, murders, burning of buildings. The term black patch referred to the region of the two states noted for the growth of darkfired tobacco.
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. Bell witch festival is around the corner 5 exceptional. Death in the black patch blends chronicle with creativity to present a piece of the past. Some of these skirmishes happened in the small town where i was raised in southwestern kentuckyi painted this for a book on the history of todd county kentu. As major producers of darkfired tobacco, local planters and farmers were involved intensely in the efforts to break the monopoly of the american tobacco company. 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. The silent brigade raided cities to burn tobacco warehouses and attacked farmers who refused to join an association to sell their tobacco. The socalled black patch consists of about 30 counties in southwestern kentucky and northwestern tennessee. 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. Although that situation was still ongoing, the actions of local farmers so far had shocked the local officials into studying their needs. The black patch tobacco wars were a period of civil unrest and violence in the western counties of the u. By this time, dark tobacco had become primarily an export crop. Three hundred strong they then moved westward across the black patch to hit dycusburg and the village of view, torching warehouses and mauling trust planters at every opportunity.
The black patch wars developed into the most violent civil uprising since the civil war. Gum grove farm destroyed by night riders in black patch. These men became known in the press as the night riders and their campaigns. At the turn of the 20th century, the american tobacco company, owned by james b. Nall, the tobacco night riders of kentucky and tennessee. The night riders, robert penn warren november 30, 1906. Adams new events have been incorporated into the bell witch fall festival, but a few standards and old favorites remain the staples. Dukes tobacco company made lives unbearable for the tobacco farmers.
The person you saidcame on the offensive with pertinent questions about my connection to and interest in the black patch war. Inspired by historical events, it explores the realities of farm life, as well as the complicated nature of family. Smithgarrett family throughout the years as well as holidays. Black patch war a current events news and politics. But despite this fierce upheaval, the black patch community endured. History of the night riders in the black patch region the history of the night riders in the black patch region tells of the struggle of small farmers against big business. The night riders was the name given by the press to the militant faction of tobacco farmers during a popular resistance to the monopolistic practices of the american tobacco company of james b. Kentucky patches war night painting black black people painting art paintings. Note the red stars, 1 at the top left first world war, 2 at the top right second world war but no 3 red stars can be seen.
The black patch war constituted one of the most serious domestic threats to civil government in twentiethcentury america. The george coon public library, together with kentucky chautauqua, will present price hollowell. 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. After the turn of the century, the depressed price of tobacco gave rise to a feud between buyers and growers, resulting in the black patch war. Night riders tells the story of the in an agricultural region of kentucky and tennessee called the black patch for the dark tobacco grown there, big business arrived with a vengeance, eliminating competition, manipulating prices, and undermining local control. Death in the black patch by bruce wilson, paperback. The night riders military wiki fandom powered by wikia.
Western kentucky black patch war, 1904 kentucky historical society. The armed and hooded vigilantes who participated in these violent acts became known as the tobacco night riders. Black patch wars, night riders topics at trigg bicentennial lecture series. A group of large tobacco companies that wanted to take control over the tobacco market. This societal war brought night riders and hillbillies into conflict, farm burnings, shootings and hangings, real havoc between farmers and ultimately between family members. 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. The only thing i enjoyed about the book was the photos that i have never seen before.
The most thorough treatment ever given to the black patch war, night riders illuminates a moment in history in which the traditional and the modern, the rural and the industrial, fought for the futureand pastof a community. Yet when world war i commenced and major foreign shipping lanes suddenly closed, the growers of the black patch had no markets left to which to ship their goods. During this same decade clarksville was a focal point of the black patch war. Defending community in the black patch lacks important details of the black patch war. Prices for tobacco had been down since the late 1890s. The arrests broke the power of the night riders and effectively ended the black patch war. Planters protective association in opposition to the night rider movement.
These different settings include christmas, easter, the black patch war and weddings and engagements. The black patch tobacco war or the great tobacco strike in southwestern kentucky and northern tennessee extended from 1904 to 1909. The silent brigade was a guerrilla army that terrorized western kentucky in a conflict that came to be known as the black patch war. The night riders set forth once again, raiding russellville, kentucky, on 3 january 1908. A struggled called the black patch war began and lasted nearly until the. At the start of the 1900s, this area was the main worldwide supplier for this type of tobacco. On september 24, 1904, the tobacco planters of western kentucky and the neighboring counties of.
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