South Carolina Scalawags [Hardcover]

Hyman Rubin III (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 10, 2006

South Carolina Scalawags tells the familiar story of Reconstruction from a mostly unfamiliar vantage point, that of white southerners who broke ranks and supported the newly recognized rights and freedoms of their black neighbors. The end of the Civil War turned South Carolina’s political hierarchy upside down by calling into existence what had not existed before, a South Carolina Republican Party, and putting its members at the helm of state government from 1868 to 1876. Composed primarily of former slaves, the burgeoning party also attracted the membership of newly arrived northern "carpetbaggers" and of white South Carolinians who had lived in the state prior to secession. Known as "scalawags," these South Carolinians numbered as many as ten thousand—15 percent of the state’s white population—but have remained a maligned and largely misunderstood component of post–Civil War politics. In this first book-length exploration of their egalitarian objectives and short-lived ambitions, Hyman Rubin III resurrects the lives and careers of these individuals who took a leading role during Reconstruction. South Carolina Scalawags delves into the lives of representative white Republicans, exploring their backgrounds, political attitudes and actions, and post-Reconstruction fates. The Republicans succeeded in creating a much more representative and responsive government than the state had seen before or would see again for generations. During its heyday the party began to attract wealthier white citizens, many of whom were moderates favoring cooperation between open-minded Democrats and responsible Republicans. In assessing the eventual Republican collapse, Rubin does not gloss over disturbing trends toward factionalism and corruption that increasingly characterized the party’s governance. Rather he points to these failings in explaining the federal government’s abandonment of the party in 1876 and the Democrats’ reassertion of white supremacy.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

"Based upon meticulous research in primary sources and secondary literature, Rubin’s analysis of white Republicanism in South Carolina goes far beyond any previous study and helps explain not only the ultimate failure but also the significant successes of the brief Republican tenure."—Richard Zuczek, author of State of Rebellion: Reconstruction in South Carolina

About the Author

Hyman Rubin III is an associate professor of history at Columbia College in Columbia, South Carolina. He holds a Ph.D. in history from Emory University.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: University of South Carolina Press; annotated edition edition (April 10, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157003625X
• ISBN-13: 978-1570036255
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #939,713 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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