Description
In this meticulously researched account, the authors uncover the remarkable story of Newton Knight, a Mississippi farmer who, during the Civil War, led a band of Confederate deserters, enslaved people, and local allies in defiance of the Confederacy. Based in the swamps of Jones County, they formed a fiercely independent community known as the “Free State of Jones,” challenging assumptions about a unified white South and exposing the class divisions, racial injustice, and moral complexities of the conflict. The narrative follows the struggle’s enduring consequences into Reconstruction and later generations, revealing how questions of freedom, identity, loyalty, and equality continued to shape the region. Drawing on military and state records, firsthand accounts, and extensive archival research, the book presents an evocative, nuanced portrait of a nearly forgotten chapter in American history.
Available Editions
ebook
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Published Jan 1, 2009
ISBN: 9780385530323
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Details
First Published
2009
Language
eng
Content Warnings
Content and trigger warnings for The State of Jones by Sally Jenkins, John Stauffer.