Showing results by author "Victoria Bynum" in All Categories

Actor Mahershala Ali performs the gripping tale of an armed band of Confederate deserters and slaves living in a mixed-race community who rose up against the Confederate Cavalry in 1863 to form their own republic, free of slavery, in what is now the state of Mississippi. The community they formed - and the ambiguous racial identity of their descendants - confounded the rules of the segregated South well into the 20th century.

On this week's In Bed, Susie talks to author Victoria Bynum. Her book The Free State of Jones turns the narrative of slavery and rebellion in the South on its ear, and explores the legacy of miscegenation still being worked out today. It was made into a major motion picture starring Matthew McConaughey, which will be released in June.

In this richly diverse volume, Joseph M. Beilein Jr., and Matthew C. Hulbert assemble a team of both rising and eminent scholars to examine guerrilla warfare in the South during the Civil War. Together, they discuss irregular combat as practiced by various communities in multiple contexts, including how it was used by Native Americans, the factors that motivated raiders in the border states, and the women who participated as messengers, informants, collaborators, and combatants.