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Iron Confederacies: Southern Railways, Klan Violence, and Reconstruction
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About Iron Confederacies: Southern Railways, Klan
Product Description During Reconstruction, an alliance of southern planters and northern capitalists rebuilt the southern railway system using remnants of the Confederate railroads that had been built and destroyed during the Civil War. In the process of linking Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia by rail, this alliance created one of the largest corporations in the world, engendered bitter political struggles, and transformed the South in lasting ways, says Scott Nelson. Iron Confederacies uses the history of southern railways to explore linkages among the themes of states' rights, racial violence, labor strife, and big business in the nineteenth-century South. By 1868, Ku Klux Klan leaders had begun mobilizing white resentment against rapid economic change by asserting that railroad consolidation led to political corruption and black economic success. As Nelson notes, some of the Klan's most violent activity was concentrated along the Richmond-Atlanta rail corridor. But conflicts over railroads were eventually resolved, he argues, in agreements between northern railroad barons and Klan leaders that allowed white terrorism against black voters while surrendering states' control over the southern economy. Review [A] fine study, which offers new and fresh interpretations and does so by integrating a range of disciplines. "Civil War Book Review"[I]t is a sparkling example of scholarship that moves effortlessly across the boundaries of business, social, and political history. "Journal of American History"ÝI¨t is a sparkling example of scholarship that moves effortlessly across the boundaries of business, social, and political history. "Journal of American History"ÝNelson¨ offers a new perspective on North-South relations during the era of Redemption. "Virginia Magazine of History and Biography"Nelson's truly innovative insights, solid research, and narrative skill make his book a significant and welcome contribution. "American Historical Review"The story is captivatingly written, briskly paced, and contains a wealth of detail. "Journal of Southern History""[A] fine study, which offers new and fresh interpretations and does so by integrating a range of disciplines. "Civil War Book Review"""[I]t is a sparkling example of scholarship that moves effortlessly across the boundaries of business, social, and political history. "Journal of American History"""Nelson's truly innovative insights, solid research, and narrative skill make his book a significant and welcome contribution. "American Historical Review"""The story is captivatingly written, briskly paced, and contains a wealth of detail. "Journal of Southern History""[Nelson] offers a new perspective on North-South relations during the era of Redemption. "Virginia Magazine of History and Biography" Review This impressive book combines penetrating knowledge of the financial and managerial aspects of railroad building with a compelling grassroots depiction of social change and conflict. It advances our understanding of the economic, racial, and social aspects of Reconstruction in a significant way. As an added bonus, the writing is clear and lively.--Paul D. Escott, Wake Forest University From the Inside Flap Focusing on the Reconstruction era, this book links the expansion of Southern railways by Southern planters and northern capitalists to issues of States rights, racial violence, and big business. From the Back Cover Focusing on the Reconstruction era, this book links the expansion of Southern railways by Southern planters and northern capitalists to issues of State 's rights, racial violence, and big business. About the Author Scott Reynolds Nelson is assistant professor of history at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.
