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About
Memphis - Immigrants |
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The first Memphis immigrants were German and Irish, who
established businesses, provided labor, and built some of
Memphis' first churches, like St Mary's with the oldest shrine
in the country. Some of the first neighborhoods were also
formed, including the Pinch district, which was named for the "pinchgut"
look of the poor, often malnourished Irish railroad workers who
lived there. The Pinch has experienced a revival associated with
Memphis' sports and entertainment arena, The Pyramid, and
Downtown's trolley line that runs from the South Main district
to the Pinch.
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From its beginnings, Memphis has
been an important location for markets, exchanges, travel and
distribution. Before the Civil War, Memphis' rich delta soil
contributed to its economic base - known as "King Cotton."
Unfortunately, slavery was the key piece to this commerce and
agri-business. The laborers who farmed the land, built the
buildings and roads, and operated households were West Africans
captured and traded as slaves. Even the names of Memphis' four
original town squares - Exchange, Market, Court, and Auction are
a grim reminder of the slavery that helped build the city. The
cotton trade tied Memphis to Northern industry so much so that
many did not want to secede to the Union at the beginning of the
Civil War. However, the plantation owners were entirely
dependent on slave labor, so loyalties were split.
Because of Memphis' location and transportation systems, the
Union and Confederacy both valued the location of the City.
Memphis was a military supply depot for the Confederacy before
the South was defeated at Shiloh and abandoned nearby Fort
Pillow. But soon after the river battle of June 6, 1862, Memphis
became Union headquarters for Army General Ulysses S. Grant. As
many as 10,000 Memphians watched the Union victory in battle
from the river bluffs.
In 1864 Confederate leader Nathan Bedford Forrest led 2,000
cavalry troops to Memphis. Forrest's brothers rode into town
early one morning and nearly captured three Union generals, one
fleeing in his nightshirt up General Washburn Alley - which was
named for his escape. The raid was immortalized by Nobel
laureate William Faulkner.
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