In a series of interviews conducted from 1969 to 1971 and again from 1998 to 1999, more than two hundred members of the Florida Seminole community described their lives for the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program at the University of Florida. Some of those interviews, now showcased in this volume, shed light on how the Seminoles society, culture, religion, government, health care, and economy had changed during a tumultuous period in Florida s history.In 1970 the Seminoles lived in relative poverty, dependent on the Bureau of Indian Affairs, tourist trade, cattle breeding, handicrafts, and...

The tumultuous North Carolina Senate primaries of 1950 are still viewed as the most bitter chapter in the state's modern political history. The central figure in that frenzied race was the appointed incumbent, Frank Porter Graham, former president of the University of North Carolina (1931-49) and liberal activist of national stature.

As a Senate candidate, Graham was unrelentingly attacked for both his social activism and his racial views, and the vicious tactics used against him shocked his supporters and alarmed national observers. Peeling away the myths that have accumulated over...

Robert Rice Reynolds (1884-1963), U.S. senator from North Carolina from 1933 to 1945, was one of the most eccentric politicians in American history. His travels, his five marriages, his public faux pas, and his flamboyant campaigns provided years of amusement for his constituents. This political biography rescues Reynolds from his cartoon-character reputation, however, by explaining his political appeal and highlighting his genuine contributions without overlooking his flaws.

Julian Pleasants argues that Reynolds must be understood in the context of Depression-era North Carolina. He...

"Outlines in great detail how the war brought progress to North Carolina]. . . . Pleasants is a storyteller, and he has gleaned the archives and old newspaper accounts of local wartime activities for facts and stories that will entertain as they help relate the amazing impact the war made on North Carolina]."--Chapel Hill News "A powerful book; a tale of heroism, volunteerism, and sacrifice."--Gary R. Mormino, author of Land of Sunshine, State of Dreams: A Social History of Modern Florida "Personal anecdotes humanize the narrative and add a poignant impact. The use of newspaper...

Traces the evolution of the people, customs, traditions, and attitudes, arguing that World War II was the most significant event in the history of modern North Carolina. Using interviews, newspaper accounts, and other primary sources, Julian Pleasants explores the triumphs, hardships, and emotions of North Carolinians during this critical period.