Charles Swett (1828-1910) was a prosperous Vicksburg merchant
and small plantation owner who was reluctantly drawn into secession
but then rallied behind the Confederate cause, serving with
distinction in the Confederate Army. After the war some of Swett's
peers from Mississippi and other southern states invited him to
explore the possibility of settling in British Honduras or the
Republic of Honduras.
"Confederates in the Tropics" uses Swett's 1868 travelogue to
explore the motives of would-be Confederate migrants' fleeing
defeat and Reconstruction in the United States South. The authors
make a comparative analysis of Confederate communities in Latin
America and use Charles Swett's life to illustrate the travails and
hopes of the period for both blacks and whites.
Swett's diary is presented here in its entirety in a clear,
accessible format, edited for contemporary readers. Swett's style,
except for his passionate prefatory remarks, is a remarkably
unsentimental, even scientific look at Belize and Honduras, more
akin to a field report than a romantic travel account. In a final
section, the authors suggest why the expatriate communities of
white southerners nearly always failed, and follow up on Swett's
life in Mississippi in a way that sheds light on why disgruntled
Confederates decided to remain in or eventually to return to the
U.S. South.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!