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| I know this is off topic, but a good read on history of prison labor on the railroads |  | ||
| Re: Re: sTrump's pick for SCOTUS Amy Coney Barrett -- lesley | Top of thread | Post Reply | Forum |
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When talking about the exploitation of the have nots......In the US I blame the Ronald Reagan administration for the destruction of labor unions, the middle class, the safety net all disguised under the banner of "trickle down economics." Local historians honor forgotten railroad workershttps://mountainx.com/news/local-historians-honor-forgotten-railroad-workers/  "Some died in landslides and cave-ins. Others perished due to malnutrition. Several were shot down while attempting to escape. The exact number of incarcerated individuals who lost their lives during the construction of the Western North Carolina Railroad is unknown. What historians do know is that the rail link connecting WNC with the eastern part of the state would not have been completed without those prisoners’ backbreaking and often deadly labors. Yet today, the hundreds of former slaves who endured unspeakable hardships while helping lay tracks and excavate seven tunnels with a total elevation gain of 1,100 feet are largely forgotten. And at least 139 of their bodies are believed to lie in unmarked graves between Old Fort and Ridgecrest, says UNC Asheville history professor Daniel Pierce." Also, the legend of John Henry. Looks like he may have been a real person, and prison labor and that he worked and died at the Big Bend Tunnel in W Virginia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Henry_(folklore) There are some that believe he worked the tunnels in Western North Carolina.
Modified by karenl at Sun, Sep 27, 2020, 13:00:50 |
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