According to Yankee historians Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest was a vicious redneck who detested blacks; beat his slaves; refused to fight alongside African-Americans; killed black Union soldiers on sight; committed a racist massacre at the Battle of Fort Pillow; and founded and led the Ku Klux Klan in an attempt to rid the South of blacks. Actually; the opposite is true. But Liberals; anti-South writers; and pro-North educators have done their best to make sure you never find out. Now all of that's changed! In his enlightening book Nathan Bedford Forrest and African-Americans: Yankee Myth; Confederate Fact; award-winning author; Forrest scholar; and unreconstructed Southern historian Colonel Lochlainn Seabrook reveals the facts about the great Confederate chieftain that have been suppressed for 150 years; debunking these and other Yankee myths that were long ago invented in order to taint Forrest's reputation; demean the South; and hide the truth about Lincoln's War from the public. Colonel Seabrook's generously illustrated; clearly written work examines the five primary myths associated with Forrest and African-Americans; from the General's alleged racism and his treatment of slaves; to his attitude toward black Confederates and his real relationship with the original KKK. The reader will learn; for example; that Forrest; while possessed of the characteristic European-American values and views of his day; was far from the monstrous bigot portrayed in our history books; and that he was; as he himself put it; "a friend of the colored race;" one who treated his slaves with respect and humanity; freed them long before Lincoln's fake and illegal Emancipation Proclamation; enlisted 45 of them in his cavalry; and hand-picked seven to be his personal armed guards. Of his loyal and brave African-American soldiers Forrest publicly said: "These boys stayed with me for the entire war. Better Confederates did not live." We also learn that there was no "racist massacre" at the Battle of Fort Pillow; that Forrest was neither the founder or the Grand Wizard of the KKK; that the Civil War Klan was not a racist organization (but an anti-carpetbag group with no connection to the modern KKK); and that thousands of African-Americans not only supported and even assisted the Civil War KKK; there was also an all-black Ku Klux Klan in Nashville; Tennessee. This one-of-a-kind book; Colonel Seabrook's ninth on the General; blows the lid off the Yankee myths about Nathan Bedford Forrest and African-Americans. Includes an index; bibliography; reference notes; and a comprehensive appendices section. Though brief; this heavily researched study is a powerful educational tool that will forever alter the way you look at Forrest; Lincoln's War; and the South. Destined to become a Southern classic. Civil War scholar Lochlainn Seabrook; a descendant of the families of Alexander H. Stephens and John S. Mosby; is the most prolific and popular pro-South writer in the world today. Known as the "new Shelby Foote;" he is a recipient of the prestigious Jefferson Davis Historical Gold Medal and the author of over 50 books that have introduced thousands to the truth about the War for Southern Independence. A seventh-generation Kentuckian of Appalachian heritage and the sixth great-grandson of the Earl of Oxford; Colonel Seabrook has a forty-year background in American and Southern history; and is the author of the runaway bestsellers Everything You Were Taught About the Civil War is Wrong; Ask a Southerner!; Everything You Were Taught About American Slavery is Wrong; Ask a Southerner!; and Confederate Flag Facts: What Every American Should Know About Dixie's Southern Cross.
#891822 in Books 2016-01-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.02 x .94 x 5.98l; 1.54 #File Name: 1937997650360 pages
Review
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Suppose you were going to draft a Constitution for the United States? Where would you start?By Sharon Kay StoutIf you were going to create a constitution for a fledgling country; where would you start? Suppose we are talking about the United States? What powers should be vested in the federal government -- and which left to the individual states? OR -- if you wanted to create a democratic government in some tribal society; what might you want to think about? What traditions of self-governance exist?This is an intriguing account of the little-known back story behind the drafting of the Constitution of the United States. It goes back in history and looks at precursors -- the experiments in democracy as well as other forms of governance -- that were known to James Madison and Thomas Jefferson. In addition to the ancient Greeks; these included the then modern Netherlands; Germany; England; and Scotland. Both Madison and Jefferson read widely; and their experience with the colonies under the Articles of Confederation was informed not only by reading about human nature and the Enlightenment; but also what had and had not worked elsewhere. VanDuren; who is Dutch; pays particular attention to the Netherlands -- history which is less familiar to Americans.VanDuren is an activist as well as a historian. His account encourages the reader to engage in activism; to consider anew the U.S. Constitution; and by example -- to study more of the resources available to us. I will be reading more American history; and more on the Founding Fathers; after having read this book.7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Great new insights into the foundations of the U.S. constitutionBy Jacqueline CoolidgeA fascinating new look at the foundations of the U.S. constitution; filling in a lot of gaps that are not well known to most Americans; even a lot of history buffs. Most of us don't get much beyond the Magna Carta and the standard "canon" of enlightenment thinkers. Apparently Madison and Jefferson were looking at a lot more - real life examples of nation-states that had already instituted representative democracies (well; at least for adult males) and rights of citizenship. Many of us had been aware of the "bill of rights" in Great Britain; enacted during their own "glorious revolution." But where did THOSE ideas come from? As it turns out; very little of it was new.Vanduren draws attention to the concerns of the U.S. "founding fathers" as they grappled with the shortcomings of the "articles of confederation" that governed the original 13 states. They were suffering from fatal fractiousness; and centrifugal forces were tearing the nascent country apart. Madison holed up in his library and dug more deeply in the details of the history and institutions of the Dutch Republics - on which the original U.S. was based. The Dutch Republics were also sinking into internecine conflict. What could we learn from their plight? What had they got right (that we could still build upon) and what had gone wrong (that we could hopefully improve upon)? His insights informed his draft of our constitution.As it turns out; some of the best ideas enshrined in the Dutch Republic had roots even deeper in history; reaching back to the medieval "water boards" of the "low countries" and concepts of the "public good' that were painstakingly reconstructed; as Paris emerged from the dark ages; from the ancient Roman and Greek democratic institutions on the one hand and Germanic/Saxon traditions of participatory governance on the other.Most interesting in this compilation of lost nuggets of history are a series of historical-fiction vignettes Vanduren weaves into the book to help the reader appreciate what life was like - in 7th century Paris; 15th century Bruges and 16th century Leiden. Leiden turns out to be a critical venue - not only the host of one of the most vibrant universities in Europe (hosting Descartes; Erasmus; and publishing the books of Newton) but also the most welcoming refuge for persecuted religious minorities all over Europe and the British Isles. This is where the Pilgrims spent 12 critical years before embarking on their famous journey to Plymouth.We learn about a number of interesting characters that have been virtually ignored in American history; but may have been more influential than they have been given credit for. I had never heard of Edwin Sandys or Francis Doughty before - two colorful characters whose shenanigans helped shape American governance traditions during the earliest colonial days.This book offers truly fresh and interesting new insights into the rich sources of inspiration for the great American experiment in democracy that still nourish us today.For those who read the Kindle edition (as I did before I wrote the above) you should still consider buying the hard copy; as it has lots of great maps and illustrations - really enriches the text!5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the ...By JCI would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the U.S. Constitution and its origins. It spans from the Middle Ages to its final signing and ratification in late 1780’s. The Dutch influence was something I knew little about. It is remarkable that our founding fathers (especially Madison) had the foresight and knowledge to create such a document.I originally read â€Many Heads and Many Hands†on my kindle; and just recently received the hard copy. It is beautifully done. The illustrations are amazing; the table of contents; index; and bibliography are as complete and detailed as anything I have seen. Other than being an entertaining read; it is also an excellent reference.I look forward to reading Mau VanDuren's next book.
