The Dance of Freedom: Texas African Americans during Reconstruction (Jack and Doris Smothers Series in Texas History, Life, and Culture)

Twelve essays by noted Reconstruction-era historian Barry A. Crouch which explore the African American experience in Texas following emancipation. CONTENTS......Page 6 FOREWORD (Arnoldo De León)......Page 8 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS (Larry Madaras)......Page 12 INTRODUCTION (Larry Madaras)......Page 14 PART I. Historiography......Page 20 One. “UNMANACLING” TEXAS RECONSTRUCTION: A Twenty-Year Perspective......Page 22 POSTSCRIPT TO PART I......Page 55 PART II. Freedom......Page 56 Two. RECONSTRUCTING BLACK FAMILIES: Perspectives from the Texas Freedmen’s Bureau Records (Barry A. Crouch and Larry Madaras)......Page 58 Three. BLACK DREAMS AND WHITE JUSTICE......Page 73 Four. SEEKING EQUALITY: Houston Black Women during Reconstruction......Page 88 POSTSCRIPT TO PART II......Page 109 PART III. Reaction......Page 112 Five. A SPIRIT OF LAWLESSNESS: White Violence, Texas Blacks, 1865 –1868......Page 114 Six. CRISIS IN COLOR: Racial Separation in Texas during Reconstruction (Barry A. Crouch and L. J. Schultz)......Page 137 Seven. “ALL THE VILE PASSIONS”: The Texas Black Code of 1866......Page 153 Eight. THE FETTERS OF JUSTICE: Black Texans and the Penitentiary during Reconstruction......Page 178 POSTSCRIPT TO PART III......Page 200 PART IV. Freedmen’s Bureau Agents and African American Politicians......Page 202 Nine. GUARDIAN OF THE FREEDPEOPLE: Texas Freedmen’s Bureau Agents and the Black Community......Page 204 Ten. HESITANT RECOGNITION Texas Black Politicians, 1865 –1900......Page 222 Eleven. SELF-DETERMINATION AND LOCAL BLACK LEADERS IN TEXAS......Page 246 Twelve. A POLITICAL EDUCATION George T. Ruby and the Texas Freedmen’s Bureau......Page 260 POSTSCRIPT TO PART IV......Page 274 BIBLIOGRAPHY OF WORKS BY BARRY A. CROUCH......Page 276 INDEX......Page 280 Pt. 1. Historiography. Unmanacling Texas Reconstruction : A Twenty-year Perspective -- Pt. 2. Freedom. Reconstructing Black Families : Perspectives From The Texas Freedmen's Bureau Records ; Black Dreams And White Justice ; Seeking Equality : Houston Black Women During Reconstruction -- Pt. 3. Reaction. A Spirit Of Lawlessness : White Violence, Texas Blacks, 1865-1868 ; Crisis In Color : Racial Separation In Texas During Reconstruction ; All The Vile Passions : The Texas Black Code Of 1866 ; The Fetters Of Justice : Black Texans And The Penitentiary During Reconstruction -- Pt. 4. Freedmen's Bureau Agents And African American Politicians. Guardian Of The Freedpeople : Texas Freedmen's Bureau Agents And The Black Community ; Hesitant Recognition : Texas Black Politicians, 1865-1900 ; Self-determination And Local Black Leaders In Texas ; A Political Education : George T. Ruby And The Texas Freedmen's Bureau. Barry A. Crouch ; Edited By Larry Madaras ; Foreword By Arnoldo De León. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Bibliography Of Works By Barry A. Crouch: P. [257]-260. This anthology brings together the late Barry A. Crouch's most important articles on the African American experience in Texas during Reconstruction. Grouped topically, the essays explore what freedom meant to the newly emancipated, how white Texans reacted to the freed slaves, and how Freedmen's Bureau agents and African American politicians worked to improve the lot of ordinary African American Texans. The volume also contains Crouch's seminal review of Reconstruction historiography, "Unmanacling Texas Reconstruction: A Twenty-Year Perspective." The introductory pieces by Arnoldo De Leon and Larry Madaras recapitulate Barry Crouch's scholarly career and pay tribute to his stature in the field of Reconstruction history.