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ix Preface T he Reconstruction era represents one of America’s great paradoxes . It was a period of expanded liberty and democracy: two of America’s most sacred principles. It should have been a period of exuberance and celebration. However, the post-Civil War era was in many ways a period of disappointment and missed opportunities. Instead of accepting the end of slavery and the expansion of suffrage rights for African American males, most white Southerners looked longingly to the past and exerted all their efforts to maintain the spirit of the antebellum era. As a result, southern landowners created an oppressive labor system in sharecropping, fought federal efforts to expand voting rights to southern blacks, and engaged in continual political warfare against Republicans for control of their state governments. To accomplish their goals, the white Southerners initiated a relentless campaign of violence against the freedpeople and their white allies. In essence, the people of the South continued to fight the Civil War after 1865 and did not relent until they won what had turned into a true war of attrition: the War of Reconstruction. This study examines Reconstruction violence in Texas, focusing on the years between 1865 and 1874. In the pages that follow, readers will learn about the hardships that black Texans and their white allies suffered at the hands of ex-Confederates, former Secessionists, and conservative Democrats. Additionally, scholars will recognize that Texas was unique among the southern states during the post-Civil War years. Indian depredations, continuing problems between whites and Tejanos in South Texas, and ex-Confederate attacks on blacks served to make Texas the most violent place in all the former Confederate states. These circumstances added to the difficult task that federal authorities already experienced in reconstructing the Lone Star State. These circumstances alone make this study important to all who study this tumultuous period in United States and Texas history. I first became interested in Reconstruction Texas after taking a class with Dr. James M. Smallwood at the University of Texas-Tyler in 1990. Since taking his course on Civil War and Reconstruction, I and Dr. Smallwood have become close friends and have shared many conversations on the successes and failures of the Reconstruction era. Over the years, we have come to the general conclusion that violence played a significant role in bringing an end to Reconstruction in Texas. In fact, we have concluded that the same could be said for most of the former x Kenneth W. Howell Confederate states. One night about five years ago during one of our regular late-night telephone conversations, I mentioned that I wanted to edit a volume on Reconstruction Texas. As I discussed various topics that I wanted to include in the book, Dr. Smallwood suggested that I consider delaying the Reconstruction project and instead edit a volume on the Civil War, especially since the sesquicentennial of the war was quickly approaching. During the weeks that followed, I came to the conclusion that my mentor was correct and began to work on Seventh Star of the Confederacy: Texas during the Civil War. I am now glad that I took Dr. Smallwood’s advice as Seventh Star has been well received by scholars and students. However, I knew if I were going to provide a more thorough understanding of the Civil War era in Texas, I would need to return to my original project, especially considering that the Civil War did not end in 1865 for most Texans. While this is not a complete history of the Reconstruction era in Texas, I believe it is the most comprehensive examination of violence in the state between 1865 and 1874. Readers will realize fairly quickly that the story of Reconstruction Texas was a frightful tale of blood—a story of violence that is unsurpassed in the annals of American history. Like most edited volumes, however, this study does not examine every aspect of the topic covered, but it is my sincere hope that it will provide greater understanding of the role violence played in Reconstruction Texas, and that the chapters presented here might serve as a catalyst for future studies. Kenneth W. Howell College Station, Texas ...

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