Besides the restored buildings is a very nice climate controlled modern museum. A large room is dedicated to artifacts and the historical stories about Zebulon Vance, (US Senator and Governor of NC) and his family. Another slightly smaller room covers the issue of the enslaved persons who also lived on this site.
Vance frequently gave speeches where he promoted the Jewish people as a minority, but still declaimed against African Americans. He even wrote a book promoting Jews as "white people"
He received a pardon following the end of the Civil War.
His role as North Carolina governor following the Civil War was shortened when he was elected as Senator to the US Congress. There as a Democrat he continued to stand with the southern opinions of disenfranchisment of African Americans. But he was in a Congress with a majority of Republicans.
I've written elsewhere (probably quoted) that the Jim Crow laws of the south were ways that Blacks were still denied priviledges...and in some cases were arrested just so there would be prisoners to do some civic work projects.Though this sign is hard to read, many of those who worked (and some who died) building the tunnels and curves of the railroad from Old Fort to Black Mountain NC were incarcerated in just that way. The only good thing that has been done is a plaque with some of the men's names on it at a park in Old Fort at Andrew's Geyser.
Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. |
LAO TZU |
You’ve got me singing Tom Dooley — just in my head for now. It could possibly becomes audible in due course. I ddin’t know that it was historical;.
ReplyDeleteI had forgotten that about Vance being his lawyer. It was a good folk song though.
Delete...not to be confused with JD of Ohio.
ReplyDeleteOh my, I had to look him up...his book was so bad about Appalachia I never finished it. And now he's a Senator. Geese!
DeleteWhat a great museum and exhibits. I like the vase, never seen one like that. Take care, have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteThat vase certainly caught my eye as well. Lots off sculpting of the oceanic details!
DeleteA fascinating museum.
ReplyDeleteI think this is the end of my posts about Vance.
DeleteInteresting, Barb. I visited the Tom Dula story area about 10 years ago when Sharyn Crumb did a presentation about him, just prior to her book about him being published. I very much diagree with her fictional account of what happened, blaming the murder on a black man. But I noted that in that area feelings still ran high about the whole thing, and that many people believed Dula was innocent. I am just as sure he was guilty as can be, but rhat8just my opinion. It was a mess all around and the only good thing that came out of it in my opinion is that song.
ReplyDeleteI think you're right Sue. And all kinds of different things led up to the hanging of Tom. Yep, the song was the only good thing that came from that!
DeleteSuch a good post It's been quite a while since I visited the Vance birthplace--you inspire me to go back.
ReplyDeleteThe next question with my friends is...what would we like to see replace the Vance Memorial Obolisk that was removed from Pack Square in Asheville?
DeleteIn the case of slavery, we think we've come a goodly way from what it was so many years ago, but in fact, we've barely moved an inch. Until people stop coming up with reasons why they're better than anyone else, we'll still have the problem of discrimination in all its forms. I have hope it will happen - SOME day, but don't think it will happen any time soon. We've made a little progress, but still have a LONG way to go!
ReplyDeleteThere seems to be a lot of politicians that use the energy of hate against "anyone different than themselves" to cause a crowd to be moved on that hate almost to riot. And they are being urged to support such-and-such candidates in those crowds, based on hatred and fear. A very sad and the opposite of uplifting situation.
DeleteThanks for sharing a tour of the Zebulon Vance museum. I've never been though I've read some history on his life and, of course, living in Asheville I've followed all the protest about the Vance obelisk. Thankfully it was just a masonic pillar that had to be removed and not a bronze statue of old Zeb on a horse. That would have been more difficult to change. It's sad that America's racist history, especially when it relates to disagreeable people like Zeb, often gets distorted and even ignored just because it makes some people uncomfortable to remember. Last year I was very touched to see the new marker for the African-American laborers at Andrew's Geyser. It's an example of a difficult history that deserves to be memorialized.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment about the Vance Memorial in Asheville. What do you think should be put up in its place?
DeleteInteresting post. Holding people in permanent bondage was such a horrible yet profitable enterprise that it had to end badly. The southerners were sore losers.
ReplyDeleteThere's a lot more than just southerner's losing the Civil War that I am seeing these days. There's the continual movement that is just riding on the force of hatred and fears...in our politics especially. With the Black Lives Matter, another in a long effort to have dimished violence against Blacks, there at least was news coverage.
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