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Group of jailed agitators

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Group of jailed agitators

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Title	Group of jailed agitators
Date created	1946
Theme	Embracing Citizenship
Subtheme	Military Service
Subject-LCSH	Civil disobedience
Subject-TGM	Jails Men Prisoners
Geographic Location	United States -- Tennessee -- Athens
County Name	McMinn County
Description	Photograph of several young men arrested for their part in the "Battle of Athens" on August 1, 1946.
Historical Note	Local politics in Athens, Tennessee was controlled in 1946 by the Cantrell-Mansfield ring. Former sheriff Paul Cantrell and current McMinn County sheriff Pat Mansfield led a corrupt ring that colluded with bootleggers, engaged in election chicanery, and "shook down" tourists and local residents for fees. In the August 1946 elections, World War II veterans supported the candidacy of one of their fellow veterans, Knox Henry, to push reform efforts. Sheriff Mansfield and his deputies physically intimidated several of the GIs, as well as an African American man attempting to vote, locking the ballot boxes inside the jail. This triggered the "Battle of Athens" in which veterans took weapons from the armory and fired on the deputies. After a day of violence, the ballot boxes were surrendered by deputies inside the jail. This event exemplifies veteran activism in local communities following World War II. The Columbia Race Riot, in February 1946, which ended in several deaths and widespread destruction in the African American business district in Columbia, Tennessee, was also prompted by a returning serviceman demanding fair treatment and the creation of a new social order in Tennessee.
Genre	Photograph
Contributing Institution	Nashville Public Library, Special Collections
Credit line	Nashville Banner Archives, Nashville Public Library, Special Collections
Conditions for use	Reproduction permitted for non-profit educational and research purposes only. All reproductions require acknowledgement of the contributing institution. For research inquiries about specific objects, contact the Nashville Public Library.
Digital Publisher	Digital Initiatives, James E. Walker Library, Middle Tennessee State University