Bloody Breathitt: Politics and Violence in the Appalachian South | A Brown Bag Lecture by Dr. T. R. C. Hutton

Following the Civil War, the rugged upcountry of Breathitt County, Kentucky, developed the reputation as “the darkest and bloodiest of all the dark and bloody feud counties.”  In a Brown Bag Lecture on February 10, Dr. T. R. C. Hutton will discuss his book Bloody Breathitt: Politics and Violence in the Appalachian South and argue that “feud” became a loaded term that was sometimes used to disguise the more complex nature of the violence.  Hutton’s careful investigation links specific incidents to national and regional events and finds that the violence often reflected distinct political intentions.  His award-winning book will be available for purchase and signing following the lecture.

Hutton received his Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University in 2009 and teaches American History at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, specializing in the American South and Appalachia.  His articles have appeared in Reconstructing Appalachia: The Civil War’s Aftermath and Blood in the Hills: A History of Violence in Appalachia.  His first book, Bloody Breathitt, has received numerous awards, including the 2013 Appalachian Studies Association’s Weatherford Award for nonfiction, the 2014 Appalachian Writers Association Book of the Year for Non-fiction, and a Kentucky History Award from the Kentucky Historical Society.

The Brown Bag lecture is sponsored by Harriet Z. Albers Memorial and the lecture and corresponding activities are free and open to the public. The lecture will begin at noon at the East Tennessee History Center, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville. Guests are invited to bring a “Brown Bag” lunch and enjoy the lecture. Soft drinks will be available. For more information on the lecture, exhibitions, or museum hours, call 865-215-8824.