The Prostrate State

James Shepherd Pike was a Maine Yankee, a Republican, and an Abolitionist. Here is his personal account of reconstruction in South Carolina. A story of scoundrels, scalawags, and carpetbaggers; of bribery, corruption, and incompetence.Published in 1874, The Prostrate State rocked the North. It weakened resolve to continue military rule and helped return traditional Southern ruling classes to power.