The moment that South Carolina ratified the 1860 Ordinance of Secession, shouts of affirmation were heard throughout Charleston as the first state broke away from the Union. With intricate detail and meticulous narrative, Charles H. Lesser examines the events surrounding the ratification of secession and resurrects the history of a bygone era in Relics of the Lost Cause. Lesser includes black-and-white portraits of several notable figures in the secession such as David F. Jamison and John A. Inglis. Using historical documents, photographs, and accounts, Lesser unravels the hype and mystery surrounding the ordinance as he seeks to establish who authored the ordinance, the reaction of the black community to the document, and the overarching impact upon the historical drama unfolding between the Union and the Confederacy.
With an appendix outlining each signer of the South Carolina Ordinance of Secession, the location of their signatures upon the document, and their districts, Lesser succinctly contributes to today's understanding of the past and its effect upon the historical narrative of our future.