Resource Materials
North Alabama’s African Americans & The Southern Claims Commission (Part One)
Civil war engulfed North Alabama early in 1862 when Federal gunboats beset the wealthy town of Florence, in Lauderdale County. Its occupation was critical for Union success. The Tennessee River and the region’s railroads were gateways into the very heart of the Confederacy. Furthermore, the high rate of Union sentiment that existed along the Tennessee-Alabama border offered an effective weapon against the local Rebels. For these reasons, the Federals were determined to control North Alabama for the remainder of the war. They were largely successful.
Military Materials - Coming Soon
An Act for the Relief of Samuel Menac ... and Certain Creeks.
In 1813–14, the deadly "Red Stick War" raged across south Alabama. Caught in the crossfire were hundreds of white, slave, mixed-race, and "friendly Creek" families. Among them was the prominent multiracial Samuel Moniac. After hostilities, many of these families filed depredation claims against the United States. In 1816–17, Congress passed two acts specifically for the benefit of Moniac and other Creeks allied with the U.S., compensating them for a portion of their losses. Selected records from these files were subsequently published by Congress as part of a vast series known as the U.S. Serial Set. This particular volume contains a wealth of information not only about the Moniacs, but many others who suffered alongside him.
State Level Materials - Coming Soon