The Bottom's on Top

This is the story of an East Tennessee family caught up in the American CivilWar and its aftermath. At the time, East Tennessee was transitioning froma remote, rugged wilderness into a semi-prosperous southern region. Even so,the economic benefits of the growing economy were not equally shared by itscitizens and significant disparities existed between the wealthy plantationowners, tradesmen, the much less well-off mountain folk, and the enslavedNegro families. Like other southern...
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This is the story of an East Tennessee family caught up in the American CivilWar and its aftermath. At the time, East Tennessee was transitioning froma remote, rugged wilderness into a semi-prosperous southern region. Even so,the economic benefits of the growing economy were not equally shared by itscitizens and significant disparities existed between the wealthy plantationowners, tradesmen, the much less well-off mountain folk, and the enslavedNegro families. Like other southern states, Tennessee was heavily dependent onslavery to support agriculture and other labor-intensive activities. However,while the plantation owners, who resided in the lowlands, valleys, and riverbottoms, were reliant on a subjugated workforce, residents living in themountains, towns and cities had little need for slaves. Accordingly, attitudes inEast Tennessee towards secession and slavery were sharply divided among thepopulace, thus setting the stage for neighbor on neighbor hostility when the warforced them to choose sides.