South Carolina: A History [Hardcover]

Walter Edgar (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1998 | ISBN-10: 1570032556 | ISBN-13: 978-1570032554 | Edition: 1st

In the first comprehensive history of South Carolina published in nearly fifty years, Walter Edgar presents a sweeping chronicle of a state with an illustrious, sometimes infamous, past. He describes in very human terms 475 years of recorded history in the Palmetto State, including the experiences of all South Carolinians-those with roots in Africa and in Europe as well as Native Americans; male and female; rich and poor. In an eminently readable presentation, Edgar uses letters, diaries, and other writings to let voices from the past take part in telling the state's fascinating story. Recounting the period from the first Spanish exploration to the end of the Civil War, Edgar charts South Carolina's rising national and international prominence and its parallel economic ascendancy. He dispels myths about the state's early history-including the notion that the colony was inhabited by a homogeneous white population-and tells how South Carolina developed an agricultural economy that relied heavily on African American slave labor. Edgar examines, among other topics, the impact of the American revolution, Charleston's significance as a metropolis and major seaport, and the state's leadership in the Secession movement. With changes wrought by the Civil War, South Carolina slipped from national prominence into a period marked by economic, social, civil, and political strife. Edgar details the everyday life of blacks and whites during Reconstruction, the state's mixed efforts to join the "New South," and Benjamin Ryan Tillman's rise to power. He also chronicles South Carolina's changing politics in the once-solid South, the state's reawakening after World War II, the casualties and victories of an extended civil rights struggle, and the Palmetto State's present economic, educational, and political challenges.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 716 pages
• Publisher: Univ of South Carolina Pr; 1st edition (September 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570032556
• ISBN-13: 978-1570032554
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 2.2 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #224,451 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 41 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Most controversial state in the Union!?! June 4, 2001

By Chad R. Reihm

Format:Hardcover

Overall this was an excellent book on what is most likely the most controversial state in the Union...Since the first landing in St. Helena Parish, through the Colonial period and the Civil War era to the flag controversy in the late 1990's, South Carolinians have been different, in almost every way, then the rest of the country. While NC's motto may be 'first in flight', South Carolina's could very well be 'first to fight'. Their instigation of the Revolutionary war and the Civil war, not to mention dozens of other controversial actions on the part of some of our ancestral fire-eaters make this book not just a history every SC-olian should read but one that every American should read as well. Like it or not, SC has played an extremely vital role in the path our country has taken and the culture we have developed. This book attempts to cover this role... While some of the book may bog down, the majority of the chapters are very well researched, flow smoothly, and are extremely interesting. You will find such topics as Colonial life in SC, Antebellum life in SC, SC-olinans in the Revolutionary War, SC-olina's role in starting the Civil War, how SC bucked reconstruction, etc...Overall, if you are a fan of good history then you will enjoy this book. If you are looking for action then try a couple books about SC's role in the fighting of the Civil War...'Kershaw's brigade' and 'the Stuck eagle: South Carolina Infantry in the Civil War'. Enjoy...

51 of 54 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Thorough, objective Palmetto State history; very good prose. December 30, 1998

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

As an avid amateur historian interested in American History and particularly South Carolina History, I found Edgar's account of the Palmetto State's history to be the definitive reference. Before this book, the subject lacked a comprehensive study from a modern perspective. Edgar is neither a Southern apologist nor a smug social critic. He addresses head-on the sensitive issue of race relations and provides an unbiased review of its impact upon the state's course in history. His objectivity, on that issue as well as many others, is refreshing.

Walter Edgar has packed an amazing collection of facts and analysis into his work and presents it in a very readable and engaging style. The book is a well-researched, scholarly masterpiece. Just as importantly, though, it is also an entertaining manuscript full of stories about South Carolina characters and events. If you have only one book about South Carolina on your book shelf, it should be this one.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved this book. January 6, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

This book is wonderful! It tells the overall story of South Carolina and includes all of the people in the state. I loved the way he included the small towns throughout his book. Charleston and Columbia are important in understanding our states history but everything in South Carolinas' past didn't just take place in this two cities. This book is easy to read and gives a clear understanding of the important role that South Carolina has played in the building of the history of our great nation. This book explains why South Carolinians took the positions that they did and how. All walks of life are reading this book. This book has gotten the young and old asking questions about their families history in South Carolina. This is the best book since Wallace! Working in a museum in South Carolina I know first hand the positive impact that this book has had on our state. I find this book most refreshing. I think it is interesting that the author grew up in Alabama, and has returned to his South Carolina ancestral roots to marry,teach, study, and write. Edgar understands the heart and soul of South Carolina, making him forever a South Carolinian. God Bless Dr. Edgar for sharing his wisdom, knowledge, and time spent writing this outstanding book.