Comments on: The Bloody Shirt

By: Hal Rounds

Hal Rounds — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 16:04:08 +0000

Reconstruction was the Marshall plan in reverse, a military occupation which concentrated on keeping all the experienced, competent public officials out of public affairs, to tax and restrict economic activity, and to maintain a monologue of hatred against the former rebels. Reconstruction was successful in driving the entire South deeper into poverty and chaos than it had been at the end of the war.
Historians like Budiansky have carefully edited out all that. He perpetuates the propaganda that began in the 1830′s as Abolitionism, and has continued today as socially acceptable “You Might Be A Redneck If…”
As in any propaganda campaign, there are germs of truth in the stereotypes.
The blacks who were shot in Hamburg, for instance, were true victims, their shooters committed a crime. But the events that led to the confrontation, the dangerous ghetto that Hamburg had become, the harassment and peril to whites trying to drive through the weed-choked streets of Hamburg to get to the Augusta Bridge, were genuine problems that Budiansky has edited out. These “inconvenient truths” detract from the political objective he is pushing.

By: Recent Reads « Bull Runnings

Recent Reads « Bull Runnings — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 03:44:58 +0000

[...] The Last Battle of the Civil War, by Nicholas Lemann, was described briefly here in my post on Stephen Budiansky’s The Bloody Shirt (follow the hyperlinks, folks: they’re there [...]

By: Harry Smeltzer

Harry Smeltzer — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:10:51 +0000

David,

It’s not so much the content as the presentation in this case, though I will admit that Reconstruciton has not been my bag over the years.

By: David

David — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 11:32:57 +0000

Quite frankly, none of this should be new to anybody that has been keeping up with scholarship over the last 10-20 years, or more.

By: Harry Smeltzer

Harry Smeltzer — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 22:05:02 +0000

Alyce,

I finished Gerry Prokopwicz’z book on Lincoln today, and will start Lemann’s tonight.

Brian,

It’s comforting to learn I’m not the only who felt that way while reading this book!

By: briabn

briabn — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 20:41:16 +0000

Thanks Harry,

I’m about halfway through the volume myself. I can only read a chapter or so at a time before boiling over. It has already changed my perspective considerably.

By: aly

aly — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 12:54:21 +0000

Harry,

“Redemption” is terrific. It focuses primarily on Ames and his battles with the status quo as he attempts to have some sort of political life in the South.

Take care,
Aly