"For We are Making History": John W. Bolts and Archival Memory in South Carolina
Event Type
Presentation
Location
EHFA 136
Start Date
5-3-2020 9:00 AM
End Date
5-3-2020 10:20 AM
Description
McLaurin's research explores the political life of Plantersville-born educator and politician John William Bolts. In 1901, during his last term in the South Carolina House of Representatives, Bolts proposed an amendment to benefit the enslaved people who were forced to work for Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. In his supporting speech, Bolts said: "It gives me great pleasure to subscribe to anything that will increase the honor of South Carolina and maintain her integrity for wise and impartial legislation; for we are making history not only for the present, but for tomorrow." During his two terms, Bolts advocated for the civil rights of African Americans. Current historiography insufficiently captures his political contributions, even as his own words call to us from the past to remember their significance. This is due in part to the limitations of archival material produced at a time when the white supremacist power structure in South Carolina intended to remake itself in reaction to the successes of black politicians during the Reconstruction era. What methodologies can we use to best understand the "history making" of an exceptional Gullah Geechee leader like John W. Bolts when the current archival material is fragmented and at times contradictory? McLaurin's paper investigates the current state of archival memory related to Bolts. It argues for a revision of his story as it currently lives in the historical record and acknowledges the need for a nuanced understanding of the constraints and possibilities that the archive presents.
Recommended Citation
McLaurin, Valerie, ""For We are Making History": John W. Bolts and Archival Memory in South Carolina" (2020). International Gullah Geechee and African Diaspora Conference. 40.
https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/iggad/2020/fullconference/40
"For We are Making History": John W. Bolts and Archival Memory in South Carolina
EHFA 136
McLaurin's research explores the political life of Plantersville-born educator and politician John William Bolts. In 1901, during his last term in the South Carolina House of Representatives, Bolts proposed an amendment to benefit the enslaved people who were forced to work for Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. In his supporting speech, Bolts said: "It gives me great pleasure to subscribe to anything that will increase the honor of South Carolina and maintain her integrity for wise and impartial legislation; for we are making history not only for the present, but for tomorrow." During his two terms, Bolts advocated for the civil rights of African Americans. Current historiography insufficiently captures his political contributions, even as his own words call to us from the past to remember their significance. This is due in part to the limitations of archival material produced at a time when the white supremacist power structure in South Carolina intended to remake itself in reaction to the successes of black politicians during the Reconstruction era. What methodologies can we use to best understand the "history making" of an exceptional Gullah Geechee leader like John W. Bolts when the current archival material is fragmented and at times contradictory? McLaurin's paper investigates the current state of archival memory related to Bolts. It argues for a revision of his story as it currently lives in the historical record and acknowledges the need for a nuanced understanding of the constraints and possibilities that the archive presents.
Comments
Theme: Reconstruction/Making Culture; Moderator: Becky Childs, Coastal Carolina University