Customer Reviews

The Lost Colony of the Confederacy (Williams-Ford Texas A&M University Military History Series)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Based on actual events, the "Lost Colony of the Confederacy" is an interesting book that chronicles the massive immigration of Southerners who fled the former states of the Confederacy and resettled in Brazil. At the invitation of Brazil's ruler at the time, Emperor Dom Pedro II, many Confederates immigrated to Brazil to take advantage of that nation's rich natural resources and most importantly, African slaves in one of the few countries in the Americas who had not abolished slavery yet.

These settlers, known as the Confederados, resettled in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, and founded a town they named "Americana" where many of their descendants still reside. With Anglo-Saxon last names such as Stonewall, Jackson, and Butler, many of their present-day ancestors still reside in the Southern-inspired town and continue to live the way of life their ancestors once lived. Pecan pies, debutante balls, and Southern hymns are all still alive, although many of them have intermarried with Brazil's population and speak Portuguese as well as English (with a Brazilian-Southerner accent).

The author did great research when writing this book, and the photographs provide the reader with visuals that help us visualize Americana. Originally published by the University of Mississippi press, this updated book provides new updated information on Americana and her inhabitants

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the U.S. Civil War, Brazil, or Latin American culture/history. The story of the Confederados is a forgotten chapter in the history of the Civil War that should be rediscovered by all.

Let me start off by saying that I'm a history major and read about 12 history books per semester. I found this book by far the easiest to read and follow so far. Quite a few subject based history books are nothing more than repackaged doctoral dissertations that are terribly difficult to follow. That or the author feels the need to wow their audience with unnecessary vernacular that is often more complex then need be.

That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The author has a free flowing writing style that doesn't get to caught up in minute details that one wouldn't remember anyway. This book offers very rare insight to those southerners trapped in a destroyed and military occupied land with little to no hope for survival. Make no mistake, this is definitely a story told from their point of view (the author is a descendant of the Confederates that emigrated to Brazil) but it serves as a good counter-balance since there was little to no objective insight to this subject before this book.

All in all 5 stars for the easy read and for the incredibly interesting peek into little known history.

Based on actual events, the "Lost Colony of the Confederacy" is an interesting book that chronicles the massive immigration of Southerners who fled the former states of the Confederacy and resettled in Brazil. At the invitation of Brazil's ruler at the time, Emperor Dom Pedro II, many Confederates immigrated to Brazil to take advantage of that nation's rich natural resources and most importantly, African slaves in one of the few countries in the Americas who had not abolished slavery yet.

These settlers, known as the Confederados, resettled in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, and founded a town they named "Americana" where many of their descendants still reside. With Anglo-Saxon last names such as Stonewall, Jackson, and Butler, many of their present-day ancestors still reside in the Southern-inspired town and continue to live the way of life their ancestors once lived. Pecan pies, debutante balls, and Southern hymns are all still alive, although many of them have intermarried with Brazil's population and speak Portuguese as well as English (with a Brazilian-Southerner accent).

The author did great research when writing this book, and the photographs provide the reader with visuals that help us visualize Americana. An updated edition of this book was recently published by Texas A&M University press, provides new updated information on Americana and her inhabitants

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the U.S. Civil War, Brazil, or Latin American culture/history. The story of the Confederados is a forgotten chapter in the history of the Civil War that should be rediscovered by all.

This is a well written book, which is easy to read. The author is a reporter and grandson of a Confederate family that emigrated to Brazil after the civil war. This chapter in post Civil War US history is not well known nor documented. The author provided an excellent and facinating depiction of the southern emigration to Brazil and other parts of Central and South America. As the son of a former Methodist missionary, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the early influence of southern Confederate settlers in Brazil and their experience. The author is credible and offers a unique perspective on this historical experience.

I live in the South and I never knew about this piece of my Southern History. This is a great informative book.

Based on actual events, the "Lost Colony of the Confederacy" is an interesting book that chronicles the massive immigration of Southerners who fled the former states of the Confederacy and resettled in Brazil. At the invitation of Brazil's ruler at the time, Emperor Dom Pedro II, many Confederates immigrated to Brazil to take advantage of that nation's rich natural resources and most importantly, African slaves in one of the few countries in the Americas who had not abolished slavery yet.

These settlers, known as the Confederados, resettled in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, and founded a town they named "Americana" where many of their descendants still reside. With Anglo-Saxon last names such as Stonewall, Jackson, and Butler, many of their present-day ancestors still reside in the Southern-inspired town and continue to live the way of life their ancestors once lived. Pecan pies, debutante balls, and Southern hymns are all still alive, although many of them have intermarried with Brazil's population and speak Portuguese as well as English (with a Brazilian-Southerner accent).

The author did great research when writing this book, and the photographs provide the reader with visuals that help us visualize Americana. An updated edition of this book was recently published by Texas A&M University press, provides new updated information on Americana and her inhabitants

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the U.S. Civil War, Brazil, or Latin American culture/history. The story of the Confederados is a forgotten chapter in the history of the Civil War that should be rediscovered by all.

The defeat of the Confederate States of America was tragedy enough for many a son and daughter of the Confederacy at that time. Surprisingly there were several thousand Confederates who refused to reconcile with the Union after Lee's surrender at Appomattox and chose instead to cross the Rio Grande casting the Confederate flag into the waters knowing they were leaving their homeland forever. Others chose to go even farther abroad and migrated to Brazil where slavery - surprisingly - was still legal as Brazil was the last western nation to abolish that "institution." And so we read of Confederates settling in the heart of the Amazon and working the rubber trade as well as Confederados in the southern part of Brazil. None other than Jimmy Carter encountered some of the descendants of the Confederados, being greeted by Confederate American Brazilians speaking English with a south Georgia accent. Carter's eyes began to fill with tears at the futility of it all as Confederate and Brazilian flags still draped the churches in Confederate founded towns such as Americana over a century after the war between the States had ended.

Interesting, informative and easy to read.

Based on actual events, the "Lost Colony of the Confederacy" is an interesting book that chronicles the massive immigration of Southerners who fled the former states of the Confederacy and resettled in Brazil. At the invitation of Brazil's ruler at the time, Emperor Dom Pedro II, many Confederates immigrated to Brazil to take advantage of that nation's rich natural resources and most importantly, African slaves in one of the few countries in the Americas who had not abolished slavery yet.

These settlers, known as the Confederados, resettled in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, and founded a town they named "Americana" where many of their descendants still reside. With Anglo-Saxon last names such as Stonewall, Jackson, and Butler, many of their present-day ancestors still reside in the Southern-inspired town and continue to live the way of life their ancestors once lived. Pecan pies, debutante balls, and Southern hymns are all still alive, although many of them have intermarried with Brazil's population and speak Portuguese as well as English (with a Brazilian-Southerner accent).

The author did great research when writing this book, and the photographs provide the reader with visuals that help us visualize Americana. An updated edition of this book was recently published by Texas A&M University press, provides new updated information on Americana and her inhabitants

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the U.S. Civil War, Brazil, or Latin American culture/history. The story of the Confederados is a forgotten chapter in the history of the Civil War that should be rediscovered by all.

Eugene C. Harter has given us a sparkling "gem" of a book, a fascinating aspect of history that is both well-researched, and well-written.

This is not something I learned about in school. The most remarkable thing about this book is author's assertion that American slaveholders fled the south after the Civil War and built successful, happy lives for themselves in culturally diverse Brazil. This is not a superbly constructed book wrapped up in a nice little package, but it is worth the read for the "did you know...?" conversations you can start with people!