Redemption Book Review
Redemption: The Last Battle of the Civil War by Nicholas Lemann is a narrative about the end of reconstruction. In the exposition of the narrative, Lemann briefly describes the time period. Ulysses S. Grant was elected president and Republican state legislature created a new parish along the Red River, ensuring that its local government would be Republican due to the local courthouse not having African Americans. The parish was then named after President Grant, and the seat was named Colfax after Vice President Schuyler Colfax. Colfax, Louisiana was more of a settlement than a town. On Easter of 1873, the Colfax Massacre occurred. A group of armed, white Democrats attacked the freedmen killing many, making this massacre …show more content…
Ames’s platform, supporting the rights of African Americans, caused much chaos in the southern states. Mississippi especially resented Ames and his carpetbagger ways. Lemann describes just how much Mississippi resented Ames, “At a July 4th celebration held by Negro Republicans in Vicksburg, whose population of eleven thousand made it Mississippi’s largest city, a group of whites with guns turned up and started shooting” (71). This tragic event is just one example of the violence that occurred throughout this narrative. Peter Crosby, Vicksburg’s sheriff, sent a letter to President Grant concerning the matter. As soon as Ames heard the news of the shooting, he hurried back to Mississippi (72). President Grant decided not to send troops into Vicksburg, yet another “Colfax-like incident” occurred in Austin, Mississippi (75). President Grant tried to avoid using violence, but ended up creating more. The government had lost all control, resulting in people responding with more violent …show more content…
It was a plan that used violence and intimidation to overturn the black vote. Preceding this plan was the Hamburg Massacre. One white man was shot and killed. Lemann states that this massacre “generated a certain amount of the old outrage over violence and Confederate bitter-endism” (172). The Mississippi plan was known as a campaign of blood and violence. This event foreshadows more bloodshed to come because another massacre occurs in September near Hamburg where a group of armed whites threatened people. The local rifle club conducted this killing spree, and President Grant issued a dispersal of the club. He made it clear that violence would not be tolerated. However, throughout the narrative violence seems to always be the end
Redemption: The Last Battle of the Civil War by Nicholas Lemann is a narrative about the end of reconstruction. In the exposition of the narrative, Lemann briefly describes the time period. Ulysses S. Grant was elected president and Republican state legislature created a new parish along the Red River, ensuring that its local government would be Republican due to the local courthouse not having African Americans. The parish was then named after President Grant, and the seat was named Colfax after Vice President Schuyler Colfax. Colfax, Louisiana was more of a settlement than a town. On Easter of 1873, the Colfax Massacre occurred. A group of armed, white Democrats attacked the freedmen killing many, making this massacre …show more content…
Ames’s platform, supporting the rights of African Americans, caused much chaos in the southern states. Mississippi especially resented Ames and his carpetbagger ways. Lemann describes just how much Mississippi resented Ames, “At a July 4th celebration held by Negro Republicans in Vicksburg, whose population of eleven thousand made it Mississippi’s largest city, a group of whites with guns turned up and started shooting” (71). This tragic event is just one example of the violence that occurred throughout this narrative. Peter Crosby, Vicksburg’s sheriff, sent a letter to President Grant concerning the matter. As soon as Ames heard the news of the shooting, he hurried back to Mississippi (72). President Grant decided not to send troops into Vicksburg, yet another “Colfax-like incident” occurred in Austin, Mississippi (75). President Grant tried to avoid using violence, but ended up creating more. The government had lost all control, resulting in people responding with more violent …show more content…
It was a plan that used violence and intimidation to overturn the black vote. Preceding this plan was the Hamburg Massacre. One white man was shot and killed. Lemann states that this massacre “generated a certain amount of the old outrage over violence and Confederate bitter-endism” (172). The Mississippi plan was known as a campaign of blood and violence. This event foreshadows more bloodshed to come because another massacre occurs in September near Hamburg where a group of armed whites threatened people. The local rifle club conducted this killing spree, and President Grant issued a dispersal of the club. He made it clear that violence would not be tolerated. However, throughout the narrative violence seems to always be the end