Beyond Redemption

At the end of Reconstruction, the old order reasserted itself, to varying degrees, throughout the former Confederate states. This period - Redemption, as it was called - was crucial in establishing the structures and alliances that dominated the Solid South until at least the mid-twentieth century. Texas shared in this, but because of its distinctive ante-bellum history, its western position within the region, and the large influx of new residents that poured across its borders, it followed its own path toward Redemption. Now, historian Patrick G. Williams provides a dual study of the issues facing Texas Democrats as they rebuilt their party and of the policies they pursued once they were back in power. Treating Texas as a southern but also a western and a borderlands state, Williams has crafted a work with a richly textured awareness unlike any previous single study. Students of regional and political history will benefit from Williams' comprehensive view of this often overlooked, yet definitive era in Texas history. We are pleased to announce the establishment of a new series, sponsored by Texas A&M University-Texarkana. Red River Valley Books, under the general editorship of Doris Davis, will include works on the history, literature, and cultural life of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana, as well as other studies that reflect the scholarly standards of TAMU-Texarkana.