For our honeymoon, my wife and I found ourselves in the majestic, mountainous landscape of Eastern Tennessee. Specifically, the area in and around the town of Gatlinburg. First, let me say that it was a truly memorable trip, and I would recommend it to anyone looking to enjoy some romantic alone-time with their significant other. The people were pleasant everywhere we went, the beautiful scenery seared a picturesque image in our minds that won’t be easily forgotten, and there were endless attractions to keep visitors like my wife and I entertained. All of this being said, it was impossible to ignore the cultural conflict bubbling beneath the surface.
I’m primarily referring to the Confederate flags that tarnished the otherwise peaceful atmosphere. Prior to booking our trip, I did some background research to determine if the area was welcoming to minorities. Since my wife is black, this is something that has to be taken into consideration when traveling to certain parts of the country. While our research resulted in us anticipating the sight of some Confederate flags, the sheer number of them was surprising. They lined houses and storefronts alike, and there were some areas where they were just as common as the American flag.
In South Carolina, where we’re from, seeing a Confederate flag on a shop window is taken to mean that if you’re not white, you’re not welcome. This isn’t an unreasonable assumption either given the awful deeds committed under the cover of that cruel symbol. However, even in South Carolina, you’d be hard-pressed to find Confederate symbolism in any city or large town’s Main Street. This was not the case in Gatlinburg, where numerous stores emblazoned Confederate imagery and sold associated merchandise. Needless to say, they didn’t get our business.
This strange admiration of the Confederacy would be understandable (but no less unfortunate) if Eastern Tennessee was a 19th century bastion of secessionist, pro-slavery thought, but this couldn’t be further from reality. Instead, it was the site of one of the United States’ first abolitionist movements, and it was the home of the “Emancipator”, the nation’s first newspaper solely devoted to the abolition of slavery. These anti-slavery sentiments persisted until the outbreak of the Civil War, with the overwhelming majority of citizens voting against Tennessean secession. There were even calls among citizen groups for the creation of a new state that would remain loyal to the United States. If this effort succeeded, West Virginia, another state in Appalachia, wouldn’t be the only one born out of opposition to the Confederacy.
It’s not like the present-day residents of the region are ashamed of their history either. Everywhere my wife and I went, there were monuments, plaques, and signs that revered their independent-minded, anti-slavery history. In Gatlinburg, the historical markers even condemned Radford Gatlin, the man their town was named after. Gatlin was a flamboyant figure who didn’t make many friends. Pretty much every description of him that we came across focused on his feuds and anti-social behavior. He was also one of the only Confederate sympathizers in the town, which resulted in him getting forced out prior to the start of the war.
After learning these things, I was left confused. Why would locals revere their noble, pro-Union history while simultaneously attaching themselves to the Confederacy by displaying its symbolism on their homes and places of business? I still don’t know the answer. Perhaps the symbols were just an expression of racism, born partly out of geographic and cultural isolation. They could be the result of decades of West Tennessee political and social interference. Maybe they were just a poorly thought out expression of country pride. Regardless of the reason, it’s symbolism that has no longer has a place in the United States of America.
Despite this criticism, my wife and I would love to return one day. The beauty of the smoky mountains is unparalleled, and as I mentioned before, the people were generally very pleasant. My hope is that by the next time we visit, the rejection of Confederate symbolism that is currently sweeping the South makes it to Eastern Tennessee as well.