The Free State of Winston, or as it would later be called — The Republic of Winston, represented one of the most fascinating chapters in Alabama history; it’s also a chapter that isn’t as well-known or as well-publicized as the narrative-dominating, historical ignorance surrounding the Lost Cause. It is a complicated story, and one we can barely scratch the surface of, so let’s give this a very glib overview:
TL; DR version: Geography as destiny. Winston County, alongside Blount and Cullman Counties, had practically no slaves at the outbreak of the Civil War — there were barely even black people in the region, it being 97% white.