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 antebellum 
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.

_________________________________________________________

PATRICK G. WILLIAMS has a Ph.D. from Columbia University and 
is an associate professor of history at the University of Arkansas–
Fayetteville. He also serves as editor of the Arkansas Historical 
Quarterly.


Number One: Red River Valley Books, sponsored by Texas A&M 
University–Texarkana


What people are saying about this book

" . . . scholars have paid little attention to the central story of the era, 
that of the dominant Democratic Party. Patrick Williams' Beyond 
Redemption offers a welcome insight into this institution and the role 
that it played in directing the state's destiny . . . an important book, 
offering a significant new interpretation of post-Reconstruction state 
politics. It should be of interest to any serious student of Texas 
history."—East Texas Historical Journal, Fall 2007