Forrest – the Most Controversial Man in Tennessee History

Editor’s note: This column is the fifth in a series of topics slated to be deleted from the eighth-grade Tennessee social studies standards.

Nathan Bedford Forrest is by far the most controversial figure in Tennessee history. That’s why a statue of him was removed from the hallway of the Tennessee State Capitol, and why his remains were recently moved.

Why is he so controversial?

Forrest was born in 1821 a log cabin in what is now Marshall County. He and his twin sister were the oldest of 12 children of a poor blacksmith. In 1834, the family moved to Mississippi. Three years later, Forrest’s f...