Franklin in Williamson County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

A Dream Postponed

The Struggle of Freed People in Williamson County

Photographed by Brandon Stahl, April 26, 2017

1. A Dream Postponed Marker

Inscription. To assist the newly freed with court cases, education, and housing, Congress formed the Freedmen’s Bureau in 1865. An additional goal of the Bureau was to help create labor contracts between white landowners and the formerly enslaved. In October 1865, contract negotiations began for residents in Williamson County. The results were disappointing.

Workers were usually paid in food and shelter. Some received small monthly or yearly cash payments. Laborers who left the area before the contract was over or were sick during planting or harvest time were often given harsh penalties, including the loss of any pay. In addition, the cost of medical care and blacksmith fees were mainly placed upon the laborer.

The workday was sunrise to sunset. Most contracts allowed half of Saturdays off and all Sunday except for the feeding of livestock or spring planting and fall harvest when the work was essentially continuous. Many contracts restricted an African American’s right to travel or receive visitors.

Erected by Franklin's Charge.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans •

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Agriculture • War, US Civil. A significant historical month for this entry is October 1865.

Location. 35° 54.345′ N, 86° 51.615′ W. Marker is in Franklin, Tennessee, in Williamson County. It can be reached from Eastern Flank Circle 0.4 miles south of Lewsiburg Pike (Business U.S. 431), on the right when traveling west. Marker is located in Eastern Flank Battlefield Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1345 Eastern Flank Cir, Franklin TN 37064, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Middle Tennessee

and in Greater Nashville.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Confederate Reunions at McGavock's Grove (here, next to this marker); The Long Road to Recovery (here, next to this marker); Battle of Franklin, Eastern Flank

Photographed by Brandon Stahl, April 26, 2017

2. A Dream Postponed Marker

(a few steps from this marker); Battle of Franklin, Aftermath (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Battle of Franklin, Eastern Flank (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Battle of Franklin, Eastern Flank (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named Battle of Franklin, Eastern Flank (about 300 feet away); a different marker also named Battle of Franklin, Eastern Flank (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Franklin.

Also see . . . Franklin's Charge. Preserving the Franklin Battlefield (Submitted on May 17, 2017, by Brandon Stahl of Fairfax, Virginia.)

1890 Census of African Americans image. Click for full size.

3. 1890 Census of African Americans

1990 Census of African Americans image. Click for full size.

4. 1990 Census of African Americans

Labor Contract Between Billie Miller & Carrie McGavock image. Click for full size.

5. Labor Contract Between Billie Miller & Carrie McGavock

Signing with an X, the illiterate Miller received $50. In return his teenage daughter Mary would be McGavock’s servant for a year, with the promise that McGavock would clothe her and treat her humanely.

The Move Toward Communities image. Click for full size.

6. The Move Toward Communities

Along with many other regions, Williamson County experienced the burning of Freedmen Bureau schools, the terrorizing of black families, and the intimidation of immigrants and Republicans, mostly through a group known as the Ku Klux Klan. As a result, many freedmen left their rented farms and harsh contracts, and formed communities for support and safety.

Credits. This page was last revised on December 27, 2021. It was originally submitted on May 17, 2017, by Brandon Stahl of Fairfax, Virginia. This page has been viewed 674 times since then and 22 times this year. Last updated on December 27, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on May 17, 2017, by Brandon Stahl of Fairfax, Virginia. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.