Participants:
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW021229S
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00:16 ♪[music ends]♪
00:19 >>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written. 00:21 I'm John Bradshaw. Thanks for joining me. 00:24 I'm going to ask you a question, 00:27 and you're gonna need to reflect on your answer 00:29 because the answer to the question I'm about to ask you 00:33 might not be entirely straightforward. 00:36 I'm also gonna tell you a story and recount a little history. 00:41 You might be surprised by the story, 00:43 and the history, for that matter. 00:46 But both the story, which is very well-known in these parts, 00:50 and the history are very important, 00:53 as they relate to the question I'm going to ask you. 00:57 And that question is a very important question. 01:01 ♪[soft guitar music]♪ 01:07 So what am I doing here in western North Carolina? 01:10 First, to orient you, the town of Sylva is about two miles 01:14 in that direction, 01:16 Cherokee about eight miles over there, 01:19 and Gatlinburg, Tennessee, 01:21 25 miles away in roughly that direction. 01:25 There's a story behind the train tracks 01:28 that run through this town, 01:29 in fact, a story behind how these tracks got here. 01:34 Follow these tracks and they take you to the Cowee Tunnel, 01:40 and really, that's where our story begins. 01:44 In 1882, on December the 30th, it was cold right here. 01:50 It was the dead of winter, and 30 men were headed to work. 01:54 It would have looked a lot different back then. 01:57 Along the river banks were trees with trunks 01:59 that, according to historians, were 12 to 14 feet in diameter. 02:03 There were no roads, of course, precious few buildings. 02:07 The area was young and growing, growing fast. 02:11 Lumber and minerals were becoming the foundation 02:13 of the economy here. 02:15 So there was a need for infrastructure, 02:17 for things like railroads, which meant there was a lot of work, 02:22 and a lot of workers were needed. 02:24 ♪[soft music]♪ 02:28 Those 30 men never made it to their destination 02:31 because of what happened right here in the Tuckasegee River. 02:36 They were in a boat that was being pulled across the river 02:39 by a, a line to take them to their, to their job 02:43 digging out the tunnel. 02:45 But evidently there was a leak in the boat. 02:48 Water began to pool in the boat, and the men surged forward. 02:52 They had no experience with boats or rivers. 02:55 And the boat capsized, and out they went into the frigid water. 03:00 It was an accident that should never have happened. 03:04 The Raleigh Observer would call it "the most awful [thing] 03:07 that has happened in any of the public works of this state." 03:11 Nineteen of the men drowned. 03:16 Now, it doesn't look like the kind of river 03:17 that would claim 19 lives, does it? 03:21 Well, getting to shore after the boat capsized wasn't easy... 03:26 because the men were chained together. 03:31 So, why were these men chained together? 03:34 Well, I told you they were on their way to work, 03:38 but "work" isn't really the right word. 03:41 They were convicts who were being forced to labor 03:45 constructing the railroad. 03:47 [pickax strikes rock] 03:48 Their task was digging out the 700-feet-long Cowee Tunnel 03:54 to make expansion and industry and progress possible. 03:57 Huge job, 03:59 backbreaking work. 04:01 The young nation was being built on the back 04:03 of their blood and sweat. 04:06 Now, when you hear of a chain gang, 04:08 you probably think of a group of convicts working 04:12 as part of the punishment for crimes that they committed. 04:16 Now, this is sort of what that was-- 04:18 except that it, it really wasn't. 04:22 So let's look now at the history. 04:25 This terrible tragedy on the Tuckasegee River happened 04:28 in 1882, 04:31 which your knowledge of history will tell you is almost 20 years 04:35 after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, 04:38 17 years after the Thirteenth Amendment was ratified. 04:42 That's the one that abolished slavery. 04:44 Blacks were free in the United States in 1882. 04:49 Theoretically. 04:52 In practice, it was different. 04:55 Slavery had ended, except it really hadn't. 05:00 Now, here's the history of it. 05:02 Keep in mind that this is history. 05:04 We shouldn't be backward about looking at history. 05:07 And as we do, it'll give rise 05:10 to that question I said I'd ask you. 05:13 ♪[soft contemplative music]♪ 05:15 [soft rush and hiss of river water flowing] 05:22 [crunching sound of footstep on leaves] 05:24 After the Civil War there was a pretty significant problem 05:27 in the American South. 05:29 Where in the world were landowners and business people 05:32 going to find cheap labor? 05:34 Slavery had been outlawed. 05:36 This was a legitimate issue. 05:38 One day you have 10, 20, 30 slaves working 05:41 on your plantation; the next day you have none. 05:45 You've now got to pay free people a realistic wage 05:48 to do jobs that most people wouldn't want to do. 05:51 How does life go on? 05:53 How do the wheels of industry keep turning 05:56 when you have to pay workers? 05:58 You're forbidden to buy and sell them now. 06:01 So that was one challenge. 06:02 Where in the world would the American South find workers 06:05 to keep the wheels of the economy going around? 06:09 And there was another question, another..."problem," 06:13 at least for those in power in the American South. 06:16 A whole race of people that had been oppressed would now rise. 06:21 Pay them fairly and they'll provide for themselves; 06:24 they'll show initiative. 06:26 They'll be able to get ahead. 06:27 And you never know, some of them might get 06:29 into positions of influence and power. 06:31 They might become active in the political process. 06:35 Some folks weren't too keen on that. 06:38 So that's how this unfolded. 06:39 In order to provide cheap labor in a society 06:42 where an enormous part of the labor supply 06:44 had just been cut off, 06:46 states realized that those same people who had worked as slaves 06:51 could be put to work again. 06:53 And if you're wearing a shirt made in Bangladesh 06:55 and shoes made in Indonesia, you already understand the concept 07:01 and the benefits of cheap labor. 07:04 Laws were intentionally designed to limit the freedom 07:07 of African-Americans and ensure their availability 07:10 as a cheap labor force. 07:12 African-Americans who had been arrested for crimes 07:15 were leased by the state to mines, lumber camps, 07:18 quarries, farms, and factories. 07:21 Now, when we say "crimes," that's a very loose term. 07:26 The so-called crimes were often ridiculous things: 07:31 changing employers without permission, 07:34 vagrancy, riding freight cars without permission, 07:38 being out after dark, 07:41 being in town without having a permanent residence there. 07:44 It was absurd. 07:48 But it was enough to get an African-American 07:50 into the prison system, 07:52 where he could then be leased by the state, 07:55 providing what was essentially slave labor 07:58 to any number of enterprises. 08:00 And often the person doing the sentencing for the crime 08:03 was someone employed by a person who needed the labor. 08:06 The system was--well, what would you call it? 08:11 Now, I said a moment ago 08:12 I had a very serious question to ask you. 08:15 It is serious. It's important. 08:17 I'll have that question in just a moment. 08:19 ♪[music swells and ends]♪ 08:28 >>John: I'd love for you to get today's free offer, 08:30 "Promises of Power." 08:32 Experience how God's promises 08:33 can empower and enrich your life. 08:36 I wrote this with you in mind. 08:38 To get today's free offer, 08:39 just call us now on 800-253-3000, 08:43 800-253-3000. 08:45 Or go online to iiwoffer.com. 08:49 "Promises of Power," it's free, 08:52 and there's no obligation. 08:53 Call us now: 800-253-3000. 08:59 >>John Bradshaw: Thanks for joining me on It Is Written. 09:01 On the second-last day of December in 1882, 09:05 19 men died here in the Tuckasegee River. 09:09 Well, they weren't all men. 09:12 Charles Eason was 15. 09:14 Allen Tillman, James Fisher, and Jim McCallum were 18. 09:19 One of the convicts survived. 09:20 His name was Anderson Drake. He was 19 years old. 09:24 He got out of the river and then went back in to save the life 09:28 of a prison guard named "Fleet" Foster. 09:31 People hailed him as a hero. 09:33 Some thought that he would go free. 09:35 Now, the story is told that that night 09:37 Mr. Foster's wallet containing $30 went missing 09:41 and was found among Drake's belongings. 09:44 So they lashed Drake 10 times across his back 09:47 with a leather belt. 09:49 Official records say that he also received a small reward, 09:53 while another prisoner, Sam Pickett, 09:55 was credited with saving several men and was pardoned 09:59 and awarded $100. 10:01 Convict leasing flourished after slavery was abolished. 10:06 Leasing labor wasn't a new idea by any means. 10:09 During slavery it was common enough for one business 10:12 or plantation to lease slaves from slave owners. 10:16 But after the Civil War, 10:18 that whole idea was taken to another level altogether. 10:22 Prison populations in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, 10:25 Georgia, the Carolinas, and Texas began to surge, 10:29 as providing convict labor was a lucrative business. 10:34 In 1883, according to the University of Houston, 10:38 about 10 percent of Alabama's total revenue 10:42 was derived from convict leasing. 10:45 In 1898, that rose to nearly 73 percent. 10:49 Death rates among leased convicts were approximately 10:52 10 times higher than the death rates of prisoners 10:56 in non-lease states. 10:58 In 1873, for example, 11:00 25 percent of all black leased convicts died. 11:04 Now, if you wonder how this could have happened at all, 11:07 well, it was a long time ago. 11:09 The country was really still emerging from slavery, 11:12 and there was a loophole in the Constitution, 11:15 in the same amendment that freed slaves. 11:19 This is the Thirteenth Amendment: 11:22 "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, 11:26 "except as a punishment for crime whereof the party 11:30 "shall have been duly convicted, 11:32 "shall exist within the United States, 11:35 or any place subject to their jurisdiction." 11:41 According to the Texas State Historical Association, 11:44 "A vagrancy law allowed local courts to arrest people 11:48 "whom they defined as idle, fine them, and contract their labor 11:54 if they could not pay the fine." 11:57 Local courts were able to force people into any type of labor 12:01 until a fine was paid. 12:03 Anyone who had been sentenced to time in a county jail 12:05 for a misdemeanor or a petty offense 12:08 could also be forced into labor. 12:11 These were tough times. 12:12 Now, listen to this; 12:13 it's from the Alabama History Education Initiative: 12:17 "Convict leasing was a forced labor practice that developed 12:20 "in the South after the end of the Civil War. 12:23 "Huge numbers of convicts, primarily black males, 12:26 "many of whom had been legally but unjustly imprisoned 12:30 "(often on trumped-up charges), 12:32 "were leased by county and state governments across the South 12:36 "to various businesses in search of a source of cheap labor. 12:40 "These businesses (railroads, lumber, and mining companies, 12:43 "for example) paid governments a fee for each leased convict 12:48 "and assumed the cost of housing and feeding prisoners 12:51 "in camps they built. As a result, 12:54 "prisoners no longer cost the government money; 12:58 "they became a substantial source of revenue, 13:01 "a fact that increased the incentive to generate 13:04 "ever larger numbers of them. 13:07 "Tragically for prisoners, once on a job site, 13:09 "they received no protection. 13:12 "They worked long hours for little pay, 13:14 "often in extremely unhealthy and dangerous conditions. 13:18 "Prisoners were routinely shackled at night 13:21 "and whipped or tortured if they disobeyed orders. 13:24 "Hundreds of thousands of them died on the job. 13:28 "But because companies had so little invested 13:30 "in any one prisoner, if he died, 13:33 he was readily and easily replaced." 13:37 Although the vast majority of the leased convicts were black, 13:40 some were immigrants, and some were white, 13:43 not many, but some. 13:51 One of them was Martin Tabert from Munich, North Dakota, 13:55 who rode the rails to Tallahassee, Florida, in 1922. 13:59 He didn't know that the sheriff of Leon County 14:01 had a scheme going. 14:03 Men riding the rails into Tallahassee would be arrested 14:06 and fined $25, about $400 today. 14:10 The fine was to be paid within two days. 14:13 The sheriff got $20 of those $25. 14:16 He'd keep $3--about $50 today-- and then split the rest 14:21 among the men who were helping him with this scheme. 14:24 Mr. Tabert, no surprise, couldn't pay the fine. 14:28 So he was sent to the Putnam Lumber Company turpentine camp, 14:32 where he was whipped to death by the camp boss. 14:36 Tabert's family hired an attorney, 14:38 who contacted a New York newspaper, 14:40 which generated publicity that led to convict leasing 14:44 being discontinued in Florida the next year. 14:48 Writer Marjory Stoneman Douglas 14:50 wrote a poem about Tabert's death. 14:52 It says, in part, "They took him out to the convict camp, 14:57 "and he's walking Florida now. 15:00 "O children, the tall pines stood and heard him 15:04 "when he was moaning low. 15:06 "The other convicts, they stood around him, 15:09 "when the length of the black strap cracked and found him. 15:12 "Martin Tabert of North Dakota. 15:15 And he's walking Florida now." 15:19 The Florida state legislature ended convict leasing 15:22 the following year, 1923. 15:25 Writer and historian Dr. Matthew Mancini wrote, 15:28 "There may be a trace of irony, however tragic, 15:31 "in the fact that a system of black forced labor 15:35 "would come to an end 15:36 "because of the hideous murder 15:39 of a white convict." 15:41 Convict leasing existed until the 1940s, some say the '50s. 15:47 Now, you could make the case that in a certain sense 15:50 convict leasing was worse than slavery in that, under slavery, 15:55 enslaved people simply didn't have rights, and they knew it. 16:00 But post-slavery, while every American was said to be free, 16:05 this system made a mockery of that right. 16:08 You might think you were free, when in actual fact, 16:11 freedom was a delusion, an illusion, a chimera. 16:17 So there's the history, a grotesque system. 16:20 It's well-documented. 16:21 This isn't new news, although doubtless many people 16:24 are unaware of its depth or of its truly hideous nature. 16:28 But it gives rise to that question I want to ask you. 16:32 The men who toiled under convict leasing were not free. 16:35 Now, legally they were free, 16:39 but that freedom was stripped away from them 16:42 so that while they should have been free, they were not. 16:47 There are people like that today, 16:50 should be free, are not free. 16:53 The church is full of people like that. 16:56 Outside the church, they're everywhere. 16:59 You might be one of those people. 17:02 This matters. 17:03 I'll be right back. 17:05 ♪[music swells and ends]♪ 17:14 >>John: You know that at It Is Written we are serious 17:16 about studying the Word of God. 17:18 And we encourage you to be serious as well. 17:20 Well, here's what you do 17:22 if you want to dig deeper into God's Word. 17:24 Go to itiswritten.study 17:26 for the It Is Written Bible Study Guides online, 17:29 25 in-depth Bible studies that will take you 17:31 through the major teachings of the Bible. 17:34 You'll be blessed, 17:35 and it's something you'll want to tell others about as well. 17:37 Itiswritten.study. 17:39 Go further: itiswritten.study. 17:44 >>John: On March 7, 1965, voting rights activists 17:48 in Selma, Alabama, began a march to the state capital 17:52 in order to make their voices heard. 17:55 They made it as far as the Edmund Pettus Bridge. 17:58 >>Joanne Bland: Before we could turn to run it was too late. 18:00 They came in from both sides, the front and the back. 18:03 And they were just beating people. 18:05 People were screaming and screaming and screaming. 18:09 >>John: The injustices that took place in Selma 18:11 got the attention of the nation 18:13 and inspired others to stand up also. 18:16 For some, that decision would cost them their lives. 18:20 Join It Is Written on location in Selma, Alabama, 18:24 for "Rights and Wrongs." 18:26 We'll look at the stories of people who sacrificed everything 18:29 in order to do what was right. 18:31 And we'll discuss how Jesus suffered 18:33 the greatest injustice of all so that we could have true freedom. 18:38 "Rights and Wrongs," 18:40 brought to you by It Is Written TV. 18:45 ♪[soft solemn music]♪ 18:47 >>John Bradshaw: They say the Cowee Tunnel is haunted. 18:50 Of course it isn't, but it is haunting. 18:54 They like to say around here that the water that drips down 18:57 inside the tunnel is the tears of the 19 men who died 19:00 and were then buried up on top of the tunnel. 19:03 Well, in actual fact, they were buried on a hillside 19:05 not very far away from here. 19:07 But there is a question that might just eat away at you, 19:10 the way water might drip, drip, drip down on a rock 19:14 and start to wear that rock away. 19:17 Here's that question: 19:18 How free are you? 19:20 Well, you might say, "What? 19:21 "I live in the United States of America, 19:23 'the land of the free and the home of the brave.'" 19:25 Or, "I live in Canada, New Zealand. 19:27 I live in the Caribbean. I live in a free country." 19:31 All right. 19:32 But back to my question. 19:34 How free are you? 19:36 I'm gonna tell you this. 19:38 You might not be as free as you think. 19:41 In fact, you might not be free at all. 19:45 So let's talk about freedom. 19:48 This is Romans 6, starting in verse 16: 19:52 "Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves 19:55 "slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, 20:00 "whether of sin leading to death, 20:03 "or of obedience leading to righteousness? 20:06 "But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, 20:11 "yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine 20:15 "to which you were delivered. 20:16 "And having been set free from sin, 20:19 you became slaves of righteousness." 20:22 And verse 20: 20:24 "For when you were slaves of sin, 20:26 you were free in regard to righteousness." 20:30 See, here's what we've gotta remember. 20:32 Jesus came into this world to set us free. 20:36 Once Adam and Eve had sinned in the Garden of Eden, 20:39 they were no longer free. 20:41 They were slaves, slaves to sin. 20:45 But Jesus came into the world to set the human family free, 20:50 not just to tell us that we have been forgiven, 20:53 but to actually break the chains that tie us 20:56 to the old life of sin. 20:58 ♪[soft piano music]♪ 21:01 You're a believer and you can't control your temper. 21:04 Well, you're not free. 21:06 You're being held in chains by your temper. 21:09 If lust controls you and you can't shake it off 21:11 and for years you've been led around by your desires, 21:14 you can't claim to be free. 21:17 You're not experiencing what God wants for your life. 21:20 Now, careful, I'm not saying that followers of Jesus 21:23 don't have challenges, don't make mistakes. 21:26 Babies often fall as they're learning to walk, 21:29 and long after they've learned to walk, they might still fall. 21:32 But they're not being held captive by falling. 21:36 They're growing. 21:37 How is it with you? 21:39 Are you growing? 21:40 The person who says, "I'm not a believer; 21:43 I don't have time for God; I don't need God" 21:46 is the same person who's a drunk or immoral 21:49 or an addict or selfish. 21:51 You're not nearly as free as you might think 21:54 because you're a slave to selfishness. 21:57 Here's what the Bible says, 2 Corinthians 3:17. 22:01 "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." 22:06 It's God who makes you free. 22:08 Look, it makes no sense that Jesus came to this world, 22:13 died on the cross for you, ascended to heaven, 22:16 where He now intercedes for you as your High Priest, 22:20 if Jesus did all that for you, it makes no sense for you 22:23 to be on the chain gang with other sinners. 22:26 You ought to be free. 22:28 As Paul wrote to the Galatians, 22:30 "Stand fast therefore in the liberty 22:32 "by which Christ has made us free, 22:35 and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage." 22:38 That's Galatians 5, verse 1. 22:40 He wrote to the Romans, 22:42 "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus 22:46 has made me free from the law of sin and death." 22:49 Romans 8, verse 2. 22:51 What God wants for you is freedom. 22:55 But just like the convicts who were leased out as slaves, 22:59 there are too many people today who aren't experiencing 23:03 real freedom in Christ. 23:05 So here's what we want to do about it. 23:07 We're all sinners. 23:08 As the Bible says, 23:09 "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." 23:12 Jesus died to set us free from sin, so we accept His death. 23:18 We believe it happened for us. 23:19 We confess our sins, and we're forgiven. 23:23 Forgiven. Free. 23:26 But you don't want to go back to the old life. 23:28 You don't want to be set free and then return to shackles. 23:33 So you continue to lean on Jesus and allow Him to set you free 23:38 from the penalty of sin and the power of sin 23:42 so that sin doesn't have dominion over you. 23:46 Jesus has freedom from sin for you. 23:50 Now, don't be saying to yourself, 23:51 "Oh, I've gone too far. God can't possibly save me." 23:55 That's just not true. 23:56 You don't want to be thinking in your mind, 23:58 "I'm too bad for God. I'm in this too deep." 24:01 That's completely wrong. 24:03 Jesus brings freedom into your life. That's what He does. 24:06 And He'll do it for anyone. 24:09 Now, if you're thinking to yourself, 24:10 "Oh, I'm leaving God out of my life, 24:13 I'm ignoring God, and I'm okay; I feel like I'm free," 24:19 well, God has you hearing this so that you can know 24:22 that you're not free at all. 24:24 Without Jesus in your life, the truth is you're a slave. 24:31 Look at Jesus' words in John, chapter 8. 24:34 Here's where we find real freedom. 24:37 "Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, 24:40 "'If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed. 24:44 "'And you shall know the truth, 24:46 and the truth shall make you free.'" 24:50 Jesus said, "Most assuredly, 24:53 "I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.... 24:59 "Therefore if the Son makes you free, 25:02 you shall be free indeed." 25:05 Free indeed, that's God's plan for you. 25:08 Free indeed, 25:09 free from the power of sin. 25:12 Free indeed, 25:13 experiencing the power of God in your life. 25:16 Free indeed, 25:17 not under the dominion of sin. 25:19 Free indeed, 25:21 God's plan, the Holy Spirit in your heart, 25:24 Jesus abiding in your life. 25:27 Free indeed. What do you say? 25:29 No one else can offer you what God offers you in Jesus. 25:34 Can you ask for that kind of freedom in your life? 25:37 You want freedom? 25:38 Not just free on paper, but free in your experience. 25:43 Forgiven and set free, free indeed. 25:49 >>John: I'd love for you to get today's free offer, 25:51 "Promises of Power." 25:53 Experience how God's promises 25:55 can empower and enrich your life. 25:58 I wrote this with you in mind. 25:59 To get today's free offer, 26:00 just call us now on 800-253-3000, 26:04 800-253-3000. 26:06 Or go online to iiwoffer.com. 26:10 "Promises of Power," it's free, 26:13 and there's no obligation. 26:14 Call us now: 800-253-3000. 26:20 >>John: Thank you for remembering that It Is Written 26:22 exists because of the kindness of people just like you. 26:25 To support this international life-changing ministry, 26:29 please call us now at 800-253-3000. 26:33 You can send your tax-deductible gift 26:34 to the address on your screen, 26:36 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 26:40 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support. 26:42 Our number again is 800-253-3000, 26:47 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 26:51 >>John Bradshaw: Let's pray together now. 26:53 Our Father in heaven, I thank You today for freedom. 26:56 Thank You that we can be free in Jesus. 26:59 So many of us, we must be set free-- 27:02 from sin, from guilt, 27:04 from anger, from ill-health, 27:07 from relationship challenges, 27:09 from financial difficulties. 27:11 We seek our freedom in You, 27:14 real freedom-- 27:15 not just free in name only, but free in our experience. 27:20 Friend, would you claim freedom today in Jesus? 27:23 You can do that now. 27:24 You can reach out to the God of heaven and say, 27:26 "Lord, set me free. 27:28 I choose to believe that Jesus makes me free." 27:31 When you pray that prayer, 27:32 you can believe freedom is yours in Christ. 27:35 We thank You today, Father. 27:37 Bless us, keep us, grow us, 27:39 in Jesus' name, amen. 27:42 Thanks so much for joining me. 27:43 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time. 27:46 Until then, remember: 27:48 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, 27:51 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 27:56 ♪[dramatic theme music]♪ 28:22 ♪[music ends]♪ |
Revised 2021-02-23