The Free State of Jones

As civil war divides the nation, a poor farmer from Mississippi leads a group of rebels against the Confederate army.

Storyline

Set during the Civil War, THE FREE STATE OF JONES tells the story of defiant Southern farmer, Newt Knight, and his extraordinary armed rebellion against the Confederacy. Opposed to both slavery and secession, Knight launched an uprising of poor white farmers that led Jones County, Mississippi to itself secede from the Confederacy, creating a "Free State of Jones." His relationship and post-war marriage to a former slave, Rachel Knight, effectively established the region's first mixed-race community. Knight, continued his fight into the post war period, resisting Klan activity through Reconstruction. His legendary rebellion distinguished Newt Knight as a compelling, if controversial, figure of defiance long beyond the War.