Forts Henry, Heiman, and Donelson: The African-American Experience
Hawkins S. 2005. Forts Henry, Heiman, and Donelson: The African-American Experience. Murray State University
This thesis covers experiences of slaves who were living in Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee during the time of the Civil War. Little has been written about the particular experiences for slaves who were living in Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee on the eve of the Civil War. When Ulysses S. Grant achieved victory in February 1862, slaves sought refuge, freedom, and new opportunities at Forts Henry, Heiman, and Donelson. Slaves kept coming to the Union-occupied forts throughout the war and supported the war effort by building fortifications and guarding railroads, and eventually, African-American men enlisted as soldiers. African-American families built homes, and established schools and churches near the Union camps. Education was a priority. By the war’s end, a large African-American community had developed near Fort Donelson, called the Free State, and it survived until the late 1800s. The transition from slavery was not easy. Violence toward former slaved continued in the postwar period in Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee. But, those African-Americans who stated in the areas surrounding the old forts created new lives and tried to adjust to living in an atmosphere devoid of slavery.
- Type
- Academic
- Authors
- Hawkins, Susan
- Date of Issue
- 2005
- Publisher
- Murray State University
- Units
- FODO , HIST
- Keywords
- African Americans, Calloway County, Civil War, Cultural Resources, ehistory, Fort Donelson, Fort Heiman, Fort Henry, freedom, History, Kentucky, Slavery, Stewart County, Tennessee, thesis, Ulysses S. Grant, Union Army