If you're a big screen aficionado or a fan of Matthew McConaughey, in a couple of months, you're in for a treat. But if you're celebrating Confederate History month, get ready to be offended.
Every history student knows that the American Civil War was the bloodiest and most divisive period in our history. The state of West Virginia exists because of that division. However, pro-Union sentiments could be found all over the South, not just in Appalachia. Secessionists just did a better job of suppressing it elsewhere. One place they failed was Jones County, Mississippi.
"Free State of Jones" is set to open in theaters on June 24. When it does, millions will be exposed to a story that I never knew of until a few months ago. Even as a history buff, especially Civil War history, I had never heard of Newton Knight, the character played by McConaughey. He was a dispirited Confederate soldier who deserted with others and returned home to oppose the Confederacy.
At the time, their exploits eventually garnered enough attention that the South sent troops to crush them and the North sent resources to aid them. By the middle of 1864, Knight's group had officially seceded from the Confederacy and repelled attempts by the South to put them down for the remainder of the war.
Having grown up in Virginia, I've always been exposed to "Confederate Heritage" or "Southern Pride." Recently, across the South, the Confederate flag has been front and center in many news stories. While there were certainly some noble characters and valiant efforts that came from amongst those who fought for the South, overall, the entire event was a wicked enterprise. The South rightfully lost and fortunately for freedom's sake, men like Newton Knight had an important role in their loss.
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