Howard Ray White’s vast history, Bloodstains, an Epic History of the Politics that Produced and Sustained the American Civil War and the Political Reconstruction that Followed, is a narrative, chronological history in four volumes. (Also, all four volumes are combined into one Kindle e-book)
Volume 1: The Nation Builders, which covers “from the ancient British Isles to March 1848, with much of the history being told through parallel biographies of Andrew Jackson, Sam Houston, Jeff Davis, Stephen Douglas, Thad Stevens, Abe Lincoln and Charles Sumner.” Self-published as paperback in 2002. Includes a comprehensive index.
Volume 2: The Demagogues, which covers “from March 1848 to April 1861, with much of the history being told through parallel biographies of Abe Lincoln, Jeff Davis, Stephen Douglas, Thad Stevens and Charles Sumner.” Self-published as paperback in 2003. Includes a comprehensive index.
Volume 3: The Bleeding, which covers “from April 1861 to May 1865,with much of the history being told through parallel biographies of Abe Lincoln, Jeff Davis, Thad Stevens and Charles Sumner.” Self-published as paperback in 2007. Includes a comprehensive index.
Volume 4: Political Reconstruction and The Struggle for Healing, which covers from May 1865 to March 1885, with much of the history being told through parallel biographies of Thad Stevens, Charles Sumner, Lucius Lamar, Wade Hampton, Grover Cleveland and Jeff Davis.” Self- published as a paperback in 2012. Includes a comprehensive index.
About the Author
Howard Ray White, born in 1938 in Tennessee and presently living in North Carolina, is a non-academic historian and a Founder of the Society, presently contributing his time and expertise as Director of Operations. A 1960 graduate of Vanderbilt University in chemical engineering, White was in his mid-50’s when he began a serious study of American history from Jamestown forward to the aftermath of the War Between the States, with a focus on understanding why politics deteriorated into Sectionalism, State Secession, an horrific War, followed by Political Reconstruction. White’s study led to his book series, Bloodstains. A great admirer of Texan James Michener’s writing style: teaching history through an epic tale covering several generations of featured fictional characters, White resolved to present his history as a similar epic tale, but with real historical leaders replacing fictional characters. The result is “James Michener with real people,” a narrative history that reads like a novel. As of 2013, Bloodstains is Whites only important work, although smaller booklets and essays have been published.
Abstract
Bloodstains feels quite different from histories normally encountered, it’s style of narrative story telling inviting the reader to “live” the times as if he or she were there. The reader, in good and admiring spirits, lives through the era of The Nation Builders through the lives of Andrew Jackson, Sam Houston, Jeff Davis and Stephen Douglas (Jamestown to 1848). Then he or she descends into the political Hell that is The Demagogues, suffering through Bleeding Kansas and living the demagoguery of Republicans Thad Stevens, Charles Sumner, Abe Lincoln and a reactionary Democrat, Stephen Douglas; hoping for happier times as 7 States legally secede, recombine under the Confederate States of America and President Jeff Davis and seek to go their own way; but weeping as President Abe Lincoln and the Republicans conspire to elicit a “First Shot” at Charleston Harbor to acquire an excuse for proclaiming a war to conquer seceded States (1848 to early 1861). The third volume, The Bleeding, drags the reader through the horrific consequence: secession of Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas; political/military subjugation of Democrat States Maryland, Kentucky and Missouri; four years of horrific war; the deaths of 360,000 Federals and 260,000 Confederates, the conquest of the Secessionists and the capture and imprisonment of President Jeff Davis. Now arriving at Volume 4, Political Reconstruction and the Struggle for Healing, the reader suffers through 10 years of corrupt Republican Political Reconstruction of the conquered States (focusing on Mississippi and South Carolina), empowered by the organized votes of African American men. But better times finally arrive: we admire Mississippian Lucius Lamar’s skillful success at harmonizing sectional hatreds; we thrill over Wade Hampton’s triumph over corrupt Republican control in South Carolina. With Democrats and “Home Rule” again in control of the southern States, we progress through the final 10 years, getting to know Democrat Grover Cleveland of Buffalo, New York, and living his rapid progression from Mayor, to Governor to President. At this point, with Democrats finally returned to power at the Federal level, we find hope that the “Struggle for Healing” is successful. Jeff Davis and wife Varina live through it all, and the history concludes with the final years of their lives.
Availability
Available as paperback books and as one e-book containing all 4 volumes. Contact writer at howardraywhite@gmail.com and/or go to Amazon.com by clicking on the link below:
HRW