South Carolina Books

In this volume, Joseph Reidy traces the development of Central Georgia from the period of its earliest settlement following the Revolutionary War through Reconstruction, focusing on economic, political, and social changes. Prior to 1830, most Georgians were yeoman farmers seeking self-sufficiency, owning only a few slaves with whom they lived and worked in a familiar manner. During the cotton boom of the 1830s, large planters moved into the area, establishing the plantation system, large numbers of slaves, and the ganging method of production. The depression of the 1840s allowed the planters to make gains at the expense of yeomen, as they bought up land and slaves at low prices from debt-burdened farmers. The process of planter consolidation and domination continued into the 1850s when cotton prices rose. Reidy argues that to respond to increased demand, rather than practicing scientific agriculture to increase output, planters in central Georgia simply increased the workload of their slaves, hiring additional overseers from the newly dispossessed white lower class. The increased tensions between planters, struggling yeomen, overburdened slaves, and the new landless poor whites played out in the Secession crisis and period of Reconstruction.

Despite their claims that a slave republic was the only form of government capable of producing harmonious social relations, planters were aware that the growing poverty in the region undermined this argument and threatened to turn the yeomanry and poor whites against them. Evidence of this division could be seen in the growth of party politics, with planters, town dwellers, and immigrants preferring the Democratic Party, and yeomen and poor whites turning to the Know-Nothings. Planters hoped to alleviate social tensions by funding poor relief, public education, and internal improvements that would bring new jobs, but the yeomanry, while approving in theory of public works, rejected them out of opposition to the higher taxes such projects would entail. Once the Civil War broke out, planter actions only furthered the destruction of the social and economic relations they had hoped to save, as planters refused to devote all resources to winning the war at the expense of current profits. They continued to plant cotton when grain was needed to supply troops and would not contract out their slaves to war materiel producers at low prices, resulting in rising prices for yeomen families who could not maintain self-sufficiency with their household heads away fighting the war and decreasing purchasing power for white laborers. Planters were unable to feed or protect their slaves from Union troops, destroying slaves' faith in paternalism and forcing them to take care of themselves, which prepared them for independence following emancipation.

Following the war, planters hoped to exercise the same control over free blacks as they had over slaves, but with the help of the Freedman's Bureau and Radical Republicans, free blacks negotiated for more control over working conditions, their families, religious institutions, and rights as citizens. While facing legal discrimination at every turn, they were in many cases able to negotiate contracts as sharecroppers, educate their children, exercise their right to vote (though not to hold office), and establish their own churches and political movements. Yeomen also benefited somewhat in that they now had unprecedented ability to hire black laborers, but were harmed by new laws limiting hunting and fishing on unenclosed lands, which diminished their ability to subsist as much as it did that of freedmen. Both black and white non-planters increasingly turned to wage labor, marking central Georgia's transition to a capitalist economic system. Planters lost a good deal of their political and economic dominance, but maintained as much of their social power as they could under the newly bourgeois order.

Uya's biography of Robert Smalls: cloth-bound, 178 pp, illustrated with a frontisportrait and a map. Index and a 6 page appendix in which he lists his bibliographic sources in prose.

This powerful narrative, written by a direct descendant of the princess Yani, draws on stories of incidents taken from the author's family history that were passed from generation to generation until set down here.

For a time, Yani is happy as a slave on Denfield's South Carolina plantation. She becomes the favorite of black and white alike. Denfield's sons instruct her in grammar and deportment. At a festive plantation "slave wedding," she is mated with the giant slave Koba amid much feasting and merriment.

Deep sorrow comes when Yani's slave husband and their daughter, Yola, are sold to other masters. Years pass, and Yani learns nothing of her child's fate. She does not even know that she has a grandchild. Yet why is she so strangely attracted to the slave girl Lucinda, whom she meets in Charleston?

Yani seeks consolation in the music she plays on her African harp, and in her prophetic visions, which reveal that her people will be freed from bondage and find the peace she so deeply desires. Her story, "From the Slave Cabin of Yani," is a moving account of slavery and a woman's hopes for her children and her people.

Gave this book to my Father for Christmas. He is a big gamecock fan and loved it. I know several others who have this book and they also enjoyed it.

This is a beautiful book you can trust to provide solid guidance on growing not only perennials, but companion annuals and vines that tolerate hot, humid conditions. Sullivan also presents lots of ideas for creating beautiful gardens in a range of sites, such as deep shade or at the beach. One of my favorite sections is called "Don't even think of growing these plants here," in which she shares wisdom on plants that are doomed in this climate. Every coastal gardener should have this book.

A highly technical, comprehensive review of the geology of the Carolinas, this book is not an easy read, nor should one expect it to be. Prepare by having a good glossary available, and perhaps a good basic text in geology as well. Then brace yourself - the geology is extraordinarily complex. These authors provide good insight.

If you want to know more about the Washington family, these letters are wonderful. Recommend highly

Those who are looking for the real Georgia, not the politically correct, Yankeefied, love-me love-me obsequiousness of the current day chamber of commerce will be well pleased with this volume. It's well worth the search and will provide many enjoyable, informative day trips despite being somewhat dated. However, thanks to Mr. Spalding, one can easily check the back of the book for updated road access. Go ahead and have Amazon search for it- you'll be glad you did. -Marianna

Ghosts and Legends of the Carolina Coasts, Terrance Zepke's latest in her best-selling series of ghost tales books, is, if possible, her best yet. She's evidently been poking around in some spooky places, because she's stirred-up more lively ghosts for us to love, pity, fear and, yes -always- chill to, in these twenty-eight tales and legends from her beloved North and South Carolina shores.

Included throughout the book, and almost rivaling the actual tales, are bountiful historical facts; explicit directions (and the occasional warning) for visiting the ghost sites and museums; numerous websites to send us off on our own myriad ghost-searches; and intriguing, atmospheric illustrations setting the stage for each haunting tale. In other words, there is something fascinating for everyone, whether you are a ghost tale buff, travel enthusiast, or just curious to find out what this popular "ghost-craze" is all about. You'll be hooked, I guarantee it!

This is a great book that's broken up into small chapters so it's easy to read and doesn't bore anyone with un-necessary details like some books too. Pleanty of information in it, if you're planning a trip to Upstate SC, deffinatly grab this book for some great places to stop and check out...even if just for the beauty, not the ghosts!