Civil War  |  Historic Site

Franklin’s Fuller Story & March to Freedom Statue

Tennessee

305 Public Square
Franklin, TN 37064
United States

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This heritage site is a part of the American Battlefield Trust's Road to Freedom: Tennessee Tour Guide app, which showcases sites integral to the Black experience during the Civil War era. Download the FREE app now.

“The March of Freedom” by Joe Frank Howard, sculptor, 2021.
“The March of Freedom” by Joe Frank Howard, sculptor, 2021. See more photos and learn more at VisitFranklin.com. See more photos by Nathan Zucker and learn more at VisitFranklin.com.

Five historical markers and a life-sized statue on Franklin’s public square tell a fuller story of the suffering and advancement of African Americans in Franklin and across the nation before, during, and after the Civil War. 

In the wake of violent protests concerning the removal of Confederate monuments in Charlottesville, Virginia, three pastors and a historian began a conversation about Franklin’s Confederate monument and the community’s little known African American history. In 2019, with broad community support and approval from Franklin’s Mayor and Aldermen, historical markers were placed on the public square — a place where people have long assembled to speak and remember — telling fuller stories about African American history, including: 

  • The sale and trading of Black people on the Franklin Town Square. 
  • The armies which passed through this square during The Battle of Franklin — a bloody chapter in a costly war rooted in slavery. 
  • The Black soldiers, 300 of whom came from Williamson County, who joined the U.S. Colored Troops (USCT). 
  • The Black men and women who took advantage of their freedom during Reconstruction. 
  • The Franklin Riot of 1867 was a violent clash between opposing bi-racial political groups leaving one white man dead and numerous other white and Black men wounded. 

In 2021, Franklin unveiled the statue of USCT soldier titled “March for Freedom” in front of the Historic Williamson Courthouse. One of the pastors, Chris Williamson, said, “This statue represents the nearly 200,000 men who bravely fought for our country, for their freedom, and for the freedom of 4 million enslaved people in our country. This statue means hope, it means courage, it means possibility, it means dignity, it means valor.”

Because the historical evidence of African Americans is still scattered and scant, finding ways to tell a fuller story helps us revisit the past, reflect on its meaning today, and continue changing our historical and personal perspectives over time. 

Related Battles

Franklin, TN | November 30, 1864
Result: Union Victory
Estimated Casualties
8,578
Union
2,326
Confed.
6,252

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