The Dixiecrat Revolt and the End of the Solid South, 1932-1968 [Paperback]

Kari Frederickson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 3, 2000 | ISBN-10: 0807849103 | ISBN-13: 978-0807849101

In 1948, a group of conservative white southerners formed the States' Rights Democratic Party, soon nicknamed the "Dixiecrats," and chose Strom Thurmond as their presidential candidate. Thrown on the defensive by federal civil rights initiatives and unprecedented grassroots political activity by African Americans, the Dixiecrats aimed to reclaim conservatives' former preeminent position within the national Democratic Party and upset President Harry Truman's bid for reelection. The Dixiecrats lost the battle in 1948, but, as Kari Frederickson reveals, the political repercussions of their revolt were significant.

Frederickson situates the Dixiecrat movement within the tumultuous social and economic milieu of the 1930s and 1940s South, tracing the struggles between conservative and liberal Democrats over the future direction of the region. Enriching her sweeping political narrative with detailed coverage of local activity in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina--the flashpoints of the Dixiecrat campaign--she shows that, even without upsetting Truman in 1948, the Dixiecrats forever altered politics in the South. By severing the traditional southern allegiance to the national Democratic Party in presidential elections, the Dixiecrats helped forge the way for the rise of the Republican Party in the region.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Frederickson's book makes several important contributions to our understanding of post-World War II politics in the South. . . . As a result, we have a clearer idea of why southerners voted--or did not vote--for Thurmond and Wright. (American Historical Review)

A satisfying read. (Journal of American History)

A lively and perceptive account. (The Weekly Standard)

Excellent, marked by superb research and sparkling prose. (Choice)

In this compelling study of the 1948 'Dixiecrat Revolt,' Kari Frederickson recovers a critical chapter in American political history. (Patricia Sullivan, author of Days of Hope: Race and Democracy in the New Deal Era)

About the Author

Kari Frederickson is assistant professor of history at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press (December 3, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807849103
• ISBN-13: 978-0807849101
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #143,411 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GOOD READ THAT ILLUMINATES AMERICAN POLITICS TODAY, September 18, 2001

By 

Timothy B. Tyson (Duke University) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Dixiecrat Revolt and the End of the Solid South, 1932-1968 (Paperback)

Frederickson furnishes the historical background necessary to understand the political history of the South--and the nation--for the past half century. The Dixiecrats, who bolted the Democratic Party in 1948 out of their opposition to the notion of racial equality, only won four states in their effort to elect Strom Thurmond. But their reactionary stance would eventually reach a wider public frightened by the integration of public schools, fair housing laws, and federal protection of citizenship rights. The campaign marks the beginning of the white South's flight from the New Deal coalition. Like Strom Thurmond himself, a lightning rod figure in this excellent book, the heirs of these segregationist rebels become Republicans in 1964 and 1968, and bring about the two-party South. The future of the region was foretold in the white supremacist revolt of 1948, and is retold here with clarity, grace, balance, and style. A fine piece of historical research and writing that illuminate American politics today.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitive work on the subject, November 11, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Dixiecrat Revolt and the End of the Solid South, 1932-1968 (Paperback)

Kari Frederickson's analysis of the Dixiecrat movement and their influence on Southern (and American) politics is an important volume, and will likely be the definitive work on the subject. The author charts the course of southern dissatisfaction with the national Democratic Party beginning in the 1930s, culminating in the "critical election" of 1948 when the Dixiecrats challenged President Truman.

What differs in this volume is the detail given to the Dixiecrat Party and J. Strom Thurmond and Fielding Wright, the party's candidates for president and vice-president, respecitively. As a result, we not only gain a better understanding of the Dixiecrats and why the party won the votes of only four southern states, but also how this pivotal event was the beginning of the end for the one-party South. Recommended for those interested in American political history and a must read for historians and students of the American South.