Battle of Athens Totally Explained

Everything about Battle Of Athens totally explained

ť For other uses, see Battle of Athens (disambiguation).The Battle of Athens (sometimes called the McMinn County War) was a rebellion led by citizens in Athens and Etowah, Tennessee, United States, against the local government in August 1946. The citizens, including some veteran GIs from World War II, accused the local officials of corruption, political machinery and voter intimidation. The event is sometimes cited by firearms ownership advocates as an example of the value of the Second Amendment to bring fair elections.

Background

For years, citizens of McMinn County had been asking for federal observers to monitor their elections which they claimed was marred by fraud. The wealthy Cantrell family ruled the county with Paul Cantrell being elected sheriff in the 1936, 1938, and 1940 elections. In 1942 and 1944, Cantrell was elected to the state senate and his former deputy, Pat Mansfield, was elected to Sheriff in his absence. A system of fees was established where the sheriff or deputies received a cut of the money for every person they booked, incarcerated, and released; the more arrests, the more money they made. Often, buses were pulled over and people were randomly ticketed for drunkenness, whether guilty or not. During the 1940s, county residents alleged voter fraud and McMinn County residents petitioned the FBI to send election monitors, but the Department of Justice hadn't responded to McMinn County residents' complaints of election fraud in 1940, 1942 and 1944.
After World War II ended, 3,000 veterans returned to McMinn County. Tired of the corruption, they created their own non-partisan ticket to fight the excessive fines:
North African campaign, and Paul Cantrell.

In the media

Starship Troopers, by Robert A. Heinlein, makes reference to a similar incident as a trigger to the political system in the novel.

The 1992 made-for-television movie An American Story (produced by Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions) was based upon the McMinn County War but set in a Texas town in 1945. It was nominated for two 1993 prime time Emmy Awards and one American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) award that same year.

In the 2007 movie Shooter fictional characters Swagger and Nick visit the location of the "Battle of Athens" when they visit a local gun expert.Further Information

Get more info on 'Battle Of Athens'.

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