A Man of Bad Reputation

Drew A. Swanson is Jack N. and Addie D. Averitt Distinguished Professor of Southern History at Georgia Southern University.

For more information about Drew A. Swanson, visit the Author Page.

"A short, crisply written account . . . . Swanson has a feel for human drama and for Caswell County itself, set amid the “rolling red clay hills” of a once-prosperous tobacco-growing region whose inhabitants were divided almost equally between white and black . . . . a valuable contribution to the literature of Reconstruction."—Wall Street Journal

"Drawing on personal testimony, newspaper reports, and period correspondence, Swanson attempts to reconstruct John Stephens’s life—and to show how his murder shaped North Carolina politics for years to come."—The Civil War Monitor

“Well-researched. . . I strongly encourage readers interested in North Carolina during Reconstruction to read [this book] in order to grasp the tumultuous life and tragic death of State Senator John W. Stephens.”—North Carolina Historical Review

"A significant work that exemplifies historians’ use of microhistory—this book makes fresh arguments about how Reconstruction unfolded differently in particular locations, and how historical narratives from the Reconstruction era remain influential into the twenty-first century."—Bruce Baker, Newcastle University

"With a lucid and engaging style, Drew Swanson demonstrates the usefulness of analyzing Reconstruction at the local level to unravel the political, social, and economic context in which postemancipation struggles took place. This powerful book is a page-turner that will attract specialists and curious readers alike. It is sure to inspire readers to contemplate the messiness of history through an exploration of the limitations, complications, and nuances of the era after the Civil War."—Adrienne Petty, William & Mary