Coal Creek Scholars

Workday at Fort Anderson on Militia Hill to

honor Veterans of the Coal Creek War
 

Best Attendance Ever!

 

Saturday, 11 November 2017
 

Veterans Day!!

 

TONS OF PICTURES FOUND HERE:

https://flic.kr/s/aHsm7H2pCr

 

Saturday was a WONDERFUL morning for our Coal Creek Scholar workday at historic Fort Anderson on Militia Hill. We sanded and painted the cannon where vandals had carved into it, cut trees blocking the view from the overlook, picked up lots of broken glass and trash, and trimmed weeds, shrubs, and small trees from the trenches and parking area.

BIG thanks to the parents who joined us as a great example to their children, especially Todd Mozingo for bringing his chainsaw to cut down more trees to enhance the view into the town of Coal Creek.  In addition to having fun and renewing childhood relationships, Scholars earned credit towards our Coal Creek Scholarships!

There were Krispy Kreme doughnuts
AND a Coal Creek Camo shirt
for all the scholars today!!

TONS OF PICTURES FOUND HERE:

https://flic.kr/s/aHsm7H2pCr

Why is this site important?  It’s because slavery did not end in Tennessee with the Civil War, it ended with the Coal Creek War.  In accordance with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, the Tennessee Constitution of 1870 outlawed slavery, “except as punishment for crime.”  Tennessee was heavily in debt due to investments in railroads after the Civil War, so it found it could enrich state coffers by leasing its convicts to build railroads and work in coal mines.  The more convicts arrested in Tennessee, the more money the state could make.  That led to incarceration of young black men on the streets of Nashville and Memphis, often for petty crimes, as a form of Jim Crow Law.

Labor unions had no opportunity to organize in Tennessee because if members went on strike, they could be fired and replaced with convict labor.  That is until Coal Creek miners took up arms to fight the Tennessee National Guard to abolish convict leasing in Tennessee. 

As the base of operations of the Tennessee National Guard during the Coal Creek War, Fort Anderson on Militia Hill stands as a reminder that you can beat a dog only so long before it dies or rises up and eats you. 

We dedicated our work day today to the veterans of that conflict.

Scholars who showed up received an official
Coal Creek Camo shirt today!

HISTORY IS MADE BY THOSE WHO SHOW UP!

VOLUNTEERS INCLUDED:
Braden, Madison

Campbell, Ian

Campbell, Samantha

Campbell, Sydney

Cox, Nathan

Foster, Benny

Harmon, Joshalyn

Harmon, Nehemiah

Housley, Jessica

Jenkins, Kayden

Jenkins, Peyton

Lamb, Noah

Lovely, Jackie

Miracle, William

Moore, Carol

Mozingo, Riley

Mozingo, Skylar

Mozingo, Todd

Mozingo, Tomeka

Phillips, Kaylee

Roldan, Louisa

Roldan, Tonya

Sellers, Hannah

Thacker, Barry

Tidwell, Katie

Whitaker, Chad

Windham, Ethan