Black Patch and Night Rider Oral History Project

By the beginning of the 20th century, tobacco buyers in Kentucky and Tennessee had formed the American Tobacco Company, a trust that controlled the tobacco market and forced farmers to sell their crops at extremely low prices. In order to protect their livelihood by fixing fair prices, farmers formed The Planters Protective Association. In hopes of breaking up the Association, the Tobacco Company offered the farmers who did not join better prices for their crops. This angered some members of the Association, and in an attempt to force independent farmers to join, members called "night riders" began to vandalize their crops, barns, homes, and even tobacco factories. Sometimes the night riders would also whip or even kill farmers, and eventually the Kentucky National Guard was called up to disband the night riders. This collection focuses on the conflict between tobacco buyers, independent farmers, and members of the Association. Topics include life during the early 20th century, the process of growing and harvesting tobacco, the financial hardships experienced by tobacco farmers, and the formation of the Planters Protective Association. Also discussed are the threats, vandalism, and shootings of the night riders.