From an eighteenth-century Cherokee feast to a deadly wildfire that destroyed a town, It Happened in the Great Smokies looks at intriguing people and episodes from the history of America’s most visited national park. It Happened in the Great Smokies includes thirty-one fascinating stories about events and ten biographies of people that shaped this famous national park in the states of North Carolina and Tennessee.

Intro -- Contents -- Preface -- 1. Black Nashville during Slavery Times -- 2. Religion, Education, and the Politics of Slavery and Secession -- 3. The Civil War: "Blue Man's Coming -- 4. Life after Slavery: Progress Despite Poverty and Discrimination -- 5. Business and Culture: A World of Their Own -- 6. On Common Ground: Reading, "Riting," and Arithmetic -- 7. Uplifting the Race: Higher Education -- 8. Churches and Religion: From Paternalism to Maturity -- 9. Politics and Civil Rights: The Black Republicans -- 10. Racial Accommodationism and Protest -- Notes -- Index