I'm a historian of the nineteenth century South who taught U. S. history at Texas State University, San Marcos, for almost 25 years. My research interests center on people who lived outside the law--not necessarily "outlaws" as we might imagine them, but outside the law nonetheless. The southern Civil War home front, including Unionists and other men and women who fought against the Confederacy, mixed race communities, and racial identity are my special interests.
Some highlights from last month’s week in Mississippi, which began with my deliverance of the first-of-the-year University Forum address at Southern Miss. There are way too many photos of me below, but […]
The byline to “The Ladder by the Chimney” might be the proverb “every picture tells a story” considering the memories this drawing evoked for Chuck Shoemake! Not only did I […]
By Vikki Bynum During the American Civil War, many Southerners expressed hostility to the Confederacy, beginning with strong opposition to secession, evasion and desertion of military service, and, finally, armed insurrections. Nonslaveholding […]
Announcement from the University of Southern Mississippi, Southern Miss Now, August 20, 2016: Schedule for the University Forum, Armstrong-Branch Lecture Series, 2016-17 The University of Southern Mississippi will host seven influential scholars, […]
By Vikki Bynum Discussions of the Mississippi insurrection popularly called the “Free State of Jones” often begin with questions like, “Was Newt Knight a traitor or a patriot?” or, “Was Newt Knight […]
1913 Newspaper profile of Knight Band member Jasper Collins Since the release of the movie, The Free State of Jones (STX Entertainment) on June 24, 2016, interest in the real-life histories of […]
Thanks to David Walsh and Joanne Laurier for permission to post on Renegade South their two-part interview with me for the World Socialist Web Site. –VB “The records were full of evidence […]
Note: If you think the recently-released movie, The Free State of Jones, is either fictional or the story of an isolated Southern revolt against the Confederacy, think again. Jim Schmidt reviews a […]
Why The Free State of Jones Is The Most Important Movie About The Civil War Since Glory In 1989 when the movie Glory was released, most Americans did not realize that […]
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