Louisiana is in the news this day. The Union ship Kentucky leaves Shreveport late in the day with some 800 passengers aboard, many paroled Confederate soldiers, some with their families. Plying the Red River, the overloaded ship strikes a snag that rips a gash in the vessel. Two hours pass before the leak is noticed.…
In the former Confederate capital of Richmond, white citizens are determined to retain control over their former slaves. This week white authorities resort to force and violence in order to preserve their control. Black citizens, although now legally free according to the federal government, are forced in Richmond to obtain passes to go about town,…
The new paradigm of Southern freedom poses a challenge for white citizens. Following two centuries of enslavement, blacks, now free, have little interest in maintaining close associations with whites. At the same time, a general lack of education, housing and jobs among freedmen ensures that relations with whites will have to continue, at least to…