journalofthecivilwarera.org
Aiming for Accuracy: Free State of Jones, Contingency, and the Meaning of Freedom - The Journal of the Civil War Era
Early in Free State of Jones a Confederate soldier proclaims he is not fighting for slavery but rather “for honor.” His comrades, including poor Mississippi farmer Newton Knight (Matthew McConaughey), needle him. Considering the “Twenty Negro Law,” Conscription Act, and tax-in-kind law, they point out that their blood only helps slaveholders get richer. After deserting, … Read More Read More