Upheaval in Charleston: Earthquake and Murder on the Eve of Jim Crow

by Susan Millar Williams, Stephen G. Hoffius

On August 31, 1886, a massive earthquake centered near Charleston, South Carolina, sent shock waves as far north as Maine, down into Florida, and west to the Mississippi River. When the dust settled, residents of the old port city were devastated by the death and destruction.

Upheaval in Charleston is a gripping account of natural disaster and turbulent social change in a city known as the cradle of secession. Weaving together the emotionally charged stories of Confederate veterans and former slaves, Susan Millar Williams and Stephen G. Hoffius portray a South where whites and blacks struggled to determine how they would coexist a generation after the end of the Civil War.

This is also the story of Francis Warrington Dawson, a British expatriate drawn to the South by the romance of the Confederacy. As editor of Charleston’s News and Courier, Dawson walked a lonely and dangerous path, risking his life and reputation to find common ground between the races. Hailed as a hero in the aftermath of the earthquake, Dawson was denounced by white supremacists and murdered less than three years after the disaster. His killer was acquitted after a sensational trial that unmasked a Charleston underworld of decadence and corruption.

Combining careful research with suspenseful storytelling, Upheaval in Charleston offers a vivid portrait of a volatile time and an anguished place.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Historical

340 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast, good read. Recommended for anyone interested in Charleston around the time of the earthquake.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read. I did not know the devastation the earthquake caused nor did I connect it to the end of Reconstruction and the beginning of the Jim Crow era.

This event proves the case that it takes catastrophes like the earthquake (believed to be a 7.3 by today’s measurement) to bring all people together metaphorically speaking.

[Christa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A side of Carolina history only briefly mentioned in Charleston city tours (only in terms of the quake itself) and, to my knowledge, not at all in public school curricula, which is a shame -- it lends so much context not just to the history of the time, but also to latter-day movements and social issues.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn’t finish. The history is interesting, but this seemed turgid and repetitive.

[Kayleigh Last · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very repetitive and not sure at all what the author was trying to show.

[Maggie O’Rosen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned so much reading this book. Charleston has a dark history and this book does such a good job teaching about its past.

[Cathy Quattrini · Rating 2 out of 5]

Repetitive and dry rendition of an interesting historical time.

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

A pleasant surprise read on an event I wasn't personally familiar with - a devastating earthquake that struck Charleston, SC and most of the east coast in 1886. The co-authors successfully accomplished something that Erik Larson (the recent Larson) should pay attention to - how to write narrative non-fiction that doesn't bore the reader and simultaneously provides insight into a time and place that capsulizes an era.

Upheaval portrays a South that struggled with the changes of Reconstruction, and in the story of Francis Dawson, readers are able to personalize the issues of the time better than any other book I've read on the subject. My only minor quibble is that Dawson's murder (I don't think this qualifies as a spoiler since it's in the book's title) is given such short coverage. But overall Upheaval in Charleston is a great read and a book that more people need to find.

[Carolyn (in SC) C234D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting. Living in Summerville, I was familiar with the story, but didn't actually know many facts. The descriptions of the earthquake were very well done, taken from multiple eyewitness accounts. There is an extensive bibliography. Some of the people in the book behaved admirably, others not so much. I was disappointed with the non-actions of President Cleveland, and with Henry Grady, the managing editor of the Atlanta Constitution. The treatment of blacks by many whites was disgusting to me. And it would only continue, well into the mid-20th century.

[Stuart Kimball · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Upheaval in Charleston' is a very intersting, well researched and very readable history book. The earthquake of 1886 was a devastating event . The response by the citizenry of the time was inspiring. Frank Dawson was a remarkable individual who was at the center of that response and his murder several years later was tragic. Susan Williams and Steve Hoffius did a great job collaborating on this must read for anyone interested in the history of Charleston

[Holly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was the first earthquake to hit a major city in the US. This story is told through the Charleston newspaper editor, Dawson. Being from Englad, he's looked on as an outsider and by the end of the book, he's murdered. There's a ton on information covered, which could have been actually been edited better.

[Julieb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting account of the disasters affecting Charleston in the 1880s.

[Helaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A look at the aftermath of a a devasting earthquake and the social up heavel of Charleston at the same time.