How white supremacists briefly overthrew Louisiana's state legislature 150 years ago

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The word "Due" read from top-down and "South" left-right, with the U shared between them. Reminiscent of a compass.

Due South

How white supremacists briefly overthrew Louisiana's state legislature 150 years ago

By Jeff Tiberii

Published February 27, 2024 at 10:05 AM EST

The start of the end of Reconstruction in the South happened during the 1874 election season.

"The Louisiana outrages : A street barricade, guarded by white leaguers" 1874

That鈥檚 what author Robert Cwiklik argues in his new book "Sheridan's Secret Mission: How the South Won the War After the Civil War," published by Harper Collins this year.

It includes the story of how Union General and war hero Phillip Sheridan and President Ulysses S. Grant fell into hot water when they moved to stop a group of white men from overthrowing the democratically elected Louisiana state government while new legislators were being installed in January 1875.

As public opinion shifted, President Grant felt Americans would no longer support the kind of federal actions needed to guarantee voting and Civil rights for Black Americans.

Guest
-Robert Cwiklik is the author of "" from Harper Collins, and was an editor at The Wall Street Journal for more than 15 years.

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Jeff Tiberii

Jeff Tiberii is the co-host of 瓜神app's "Due South." Jeff joined 瓜神app in 2011. During his 20 years in public radio, he was Morning Edition Host at WFDD and 瓜神app鈥檚 Greensboro Bureau Chief and later, the Capitol Bureau Chief. Jeff has covered state and federal politics, produced the radio documentary 鈥淩ight Turn,鈥� launched a podcast, and was named North Carolina Radio Reporter of the Year four times.

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