The first comprehensive examination of the nineteenth-century Ku Klux Klan since the 1970s, Ku-Klux pinpoints the group's rise with startling acuity. Shedding new light on the ideas that motivated the Klan, Parsons book offers the definitive account of the rise of the Ku Klux Klan during Reconstruction.
Fallen Drunkards and Redeeming Women in the Nineteenth-Century United States
The narrative of a young man's downfall due to alcohol consumption in 19th-century literature highlights the tension between personal choice and environmental factors. Elaine Frantz Parsons critiques this portrayal, suggesting it downplays free will while emphasizing societal influences on issues like drunkenness and poverty. This perspective ultimately paved the way for state intervention, culminating in Prohibition. The work explores the cultural implications of these reformers' stories and their unintended consequences on social policy.