The Prostrate State

by James S. Pike

James Shepherd Pike was a Yankee, a Republican, and an Abolitionist. Here is his personal account of reconstruction in South Carolina. A story of scoundrels, scalawags, and carpetbaggers; of bribery, corruption, and incompetence. Published in 1874, The Prostrate State rocked the North. It weakened resolve to continue military rule and helped return traditional Southern ruling classes to power.

284 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1874

Reviews

[Steve Walters · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book out of curiosity because my ancestors were from South Carolina and my great grandfather fought for the confederacy from 1861-1865. My overall assessment is that it was a detailed racist rationalization to support his position that South Carolina could not be governed by blacks. He also argues without basis that most South Carolinians didn’t want war but did so to defend the state from northern aggression. He finishes with the absurd notion that whites wanted to support the needs of free blacks but they lacked the intellect and initiative to benefit from these efforts. We know today what southern states would do to blacks after the war and for 100 years thereafter.

[Tony · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simple narrative of events is perhaps the briefest, as it is the most effectual way of enabling the reader to form an unbiased judgement upon the events that have occurred.