Found Community: Mapping the Reconstruction Communities Formed by Black Union Veterans in the South Carolina Lowcountry

Elizabeth Laney, University of South Carolina

This paper integrates qualitative sources with spatial analysis to examine the social networks formed by black Union veterans and their families in the Lowcountry of South Carolina between 1866 and 1910. Civil War pension records often provide rich details about the social networks of the veterans and their families which can be combined with historic maps to place those networks within the built environment. In particular, the study looks at the level of integration of the veterans and their families in the community-at-large. It also looks to identify what Lafreniere and Gilliland refer to as the “micro-scale social environments” that encompass groups such as the veterans’ comrades-in-arms, extended familial networks, business relationships and more. The study is a part of a larger initiative to examine the social and political impact of these veterans on Lowcountry communities during Reconstruction.

No extended abstract or paper available

 Presented in Session 196. Rediscovering Histories: Land Ownership, Communities, and Freedom in Post-Emancipation America