During the Civil War and Reconstruction, the pejorative term scalawag referred to white southerners loyal to the Republican Party. With the onset of the federal occupation of New Orleans in 1862, scalawags challenged the restoration of the antebellum political and social orders. Derided as spoilsmen, uneducated poor white trash, Union sympathizers, and race traitors, scalawags remain largely misunderstood even today. In The Louisiana Scalawags, Frank J. Wetta offers the first in-depth analysis of these men and their ...
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During the Civil War and Reconstruction, the pejorative term scalawag referred to white southerners loyal to the Republican Party. With the onset of the federal occupation of New Orleans in 1862, scalawags challenged the restoration of the antebellum political and social orders. Derided as spoilsmen, uneducated poor white trash, Union sympathizers, and race traitors, scalawags remain largely misunderstood even today. In The Louisiana Scalawags, Frank J. Wetta offers the first in-depth analysis of these men and their struggle over the future of Louisiana. A fascinating look into the interplay of politics, race, and terrorism during Reconstruction, this volume answers an array of questions about the origin and demise of the scalawags, and debunks much of the negative mythology surrounding them.
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