Description
Book SynopsisWhile the story of John B. Rayner is not widely known, this African American educator and Populist leader, the son of a politically powerful white slaveholder from North Carolina, was a political maverick who dared to challenge the Democratic Party and the Post-Civil War South''s racial orthodoxy.
Indeed, John B. Rayner''s story sometimes triumphant, occasionally shameful, mostly tragic has much to tell us about the tumultuous era in which he lived. His early experiences as a local Republican officeholder in the 1870s illustrate many of the contradictory features of Reconstruction. Likewise, his rise to prominence as an orator, organizer, and political strategist for the Texas People''s Party in the 1890s illuminates both the promise and disappointment of the agrarian movement and the limits of political inclusion. Finally, Rayner''s zigzag course after 1900 depicts the nearly impossible position that a talented, politically active African American found himself in during the
Trade Review
"Gregg Cantrell's excellent book...is a welcome addition to the literature on southern political life, race relations, and populism. ... Cantrell's portrayal of Rayner's grass-roots populism is top notch. ... There is much to admire in this work, especially Cantrell's sharp analytical skills, his sophisticated weaving of examples into the narrative, and his explanation of terms and locations." (The North Carolina Historical Review, January 2002)
Table of ContentsIntroduction and Acknowledgments vii
Chapter One. In the Crucible of Reconstruction 1
Chapter Two. The Search for a Political Voice 21
Chapter Three. The Promise of Populism 32
Chapter Four. Shattered Hopes 58
Chapter Five. Feeding the Wolf 83
Chapter Six. The Price of Accommodation 116
Epilogue 140
Index 143
