The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution abolished slavery, yet it created involuntary servitude as a punishment for petty crimes. Learn about the incarcerated Black men and women that built the Swannanoa Tunnel that connected Asheville throughout the U.S.
“Stripes but no Stars” [27]
The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution abolished slavery, yet it created involuntary servitude as a punishment for even petty crimes such as being unemployed. The railroad industry used prisoners for labor throughout the U.S.
Black men and women built the Swannanoa Tunnel that enabled Asheville to connect to Salisbury, N.C. and to cities throughout the U.S. These incarcerated Black people labored in chains at gunpoint. The women cooked and mended clothes at the work camps. Men were forced to drag a 34,000-pound locomotive through the 1,832-foot long Swannanoa Tunnel before tracks were laid.
Nearly 400 laborers died from injuries and illness while constructing the rail line. Passenger rail service began in Asheville in 1880. Asheville owes much to its unsung builders, their resilience, and achievements. Depot Street, where you stand today, and the surrounding area, became a hub for Black businesses and residences.
