Reckoning with the Devil
eBook - ePub

Reckoning with the Devil

Nathan Bedford Forrest in Myth and Memory

  1. 248 pages
  2. English
  3. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

Reckoning with the Devil

Nathan Bedford Forrest in Myth and Memory

About this book

Court Carney's Reckoning with the Devil grapples with the troubled, complex legacy of Nathan Bedford Forrest—a slave trader, Confederate general, and prominent Klansman. More than a century after his death, Forrest's image continues to resonate with certain groups and bear varied interpretations, reflecting the intricate interplay of history, memory, and a contested past. Carney explores how historical omissions and erasures continually reshape perceptions of Forrest as well as the Civil War.Central to Forrest's narrative is his involvement in the slave trade, a key to his ascent in the southern social hierarchy. Carney traces Forrest's trajectory from a prosperous slave trader in Memphis to a politician and eventual military leader in the Confederacy during the Civil War. Forrest's postwar years reveal his struggle to rebuild his life, leading him to engage in various economic ventures and eventually join the Ku Klux Klan. Carney argues that the slave trade, the Fort Pillow massacre, and his Klan affiliation were the fundamental elements shaping Forrest's image. Those elements, although steeped in racism and white supremacy, were marked by an ambiguity and malleability that allowed Forrest to attract admirers as well as detractors as his image was memorialized in postwar white southern culture.Carney covers distinct phases of Forrest's memorialization, from the unveiling of statues in Memphis in 1905 to his representation in literature and media and the controversies surrounding his monuments in the 2010s. That history culminates with the removal of the Memphis statue in 2017, reflecting the evolving societal perspectives on symbols tied to racism. Forrest's significance lies in his capacity to encompass conflicting narratives—hero and villain, rebel and patriot. Carney contends that understanding Forrest's legacy is essential for comprehending the intricacies of the southern past and its enduring impact on American society. By exploring the fluidity of Forrest's image, Carney's work illuminates the nuanced interplay of history, memory, and the ongoing struggle to reckon with a tumultuous past.

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Yes, you can access Reckoning with the Devil by Court Carney in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & American Civil War History. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Information

Table of contents

  1. COVER
  2. TITLE PAGE
  3. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  4. DEDICATION
  5. CONTENTS
  6. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  7. INTRODUCTION: WHY NATHAN BEDFORD FORREST MATTERS
  8. 1. THE BUTCHER
  9. 2. MEMPHIS, 1905
  10. 3. FORREST AS HISTORY, FORREST AS FICTION
  11. 4. THE MOST MAN IN THE WORLD
  12. 5. REMOVAL(s)
  13. CONCLUSION: RECONSTRUCTION OF THE FABLES
  14. NOTES
  15. BIBLIOGRAPHY
  16. INDEX