The Battle of Athens

If you think J6 was the first anti-government, voter fraud "insurrection", think again. The Battle of Athens, Athens, TN, was in 1946. The Battle of Athens





"Cantrell, who came from a wealthy and influential family in nearby Etowah, tied his campaign closely to the popularity of the Roosevelt administration. Cantrell rode FDR's coattails to victory over his Republican opponent in what came to be known as the "vote grab of 1936", which delivered McMinn County to Tennessee's Crump Machine"

"The sheriff and his deputies were paid under a fee system whereby they received money for every person they booked, incarcerated, and released. Because of this fee system, there was extensive "fee grabbing" from tourists and travelers. Buses passing through the county were often pulled over and the passengers were randomly ticketed for drunkenness, regardless of their intoxication or lack thereof."

"During the fight at the jail, rioting had broken out in Athens, mainly targeting police cars. This continued after the ballot boxes were recovered, but subsided by morning. The mob also destroyed automobiles of the deputies, many bearing out-of-state plates. During the disorder the Mayor of Athens was on vacation and the city policemen were "nowhere to be found.""