Trying Temperance Neely: A Story of Murder, Race and Reconstruction Justice in North Carolina

Centered on the murder of a freedwoman, this book examines the ensuing investigation of the accused, Temperance Neely, revealing a local struggle over race, power and authority during the early years of emancipation following the Civil War.

Court records, government documents, newspapers and firsthand accounts trace the actions of freed people, former Confederates, federal officials and vigilante groups, including the Ku Klux Klan. The use of violence as an intimidation tactic demonstrates the shaping of Reconstruction at the local level, which undermined federal attempts to enforce civil rights. The case and its participants show the effect of national policies on everyday life, highlighting the continued divide between communities and the attempt to redefine citizenship and justice in the postwar South.