Gregg Cantrell's analysis of John B. Rayner and Reconstruction politics

In Feeding the Wolf: John B. Rayner and the Politics of Race, 1850 – 1918, historian Gregg Cantrell recounts the life of a political pioneer in the post-Civil War South. Equally as relevant for historians of Texas and the South, Cantrell’s book lends insight into the unique power politics that thwarted Reconstruction and entrenched racism at every level of southern society. The early chapters of Feeding the Wolf provide the reader with valuable background information, setting the stage for understanding the important contributions of John Rayner. In Feeding the Wolf, Cantrell provides more than just a biography but an astute historical and political analysis, with some sociological and anthropological overtones, too. Although hardly a household name except perhaps among Reconstruction-era historians, Rayner epitomizes the intersections of race, class, and political power in America. The author’s central argument is not necessarily about intersectionality, though, but about the institutional variables that prevent populism, progressivism, and similar political movements from promoting social justice. Cantrell shows that even after the devastation of the Civil War, southern Democrats retained their power while the Republicans and fledgling groups like the Populist Party failed to gain meaningful traction. Reconstruction was a top-down political policy that represented the ultimate political affront to Southern whites, as Cantrell points out in both the Introduction and Chapter One of Feeding the Wolf. Racism had become deeply entrenched in Southern white identity, informing a unique brand of identity politics that hinged on racial segregation and white supremacy. More than that, the plantation economy that slavery helped build had been systematically dismantled, and a new era of industrialization and urbanization also coincided to conspire for a new social, political, and economic order. Cantrell shows that while Reconstruction did enable African Americans like John B. Rayner to find his own political voice amid the cacophony of Southern politics, ultimately the federal government lacked sufficient political will or localized support to effectively dismantle centuries of institutionalized racism. Even poor whites suffered, which is why populism appealed to so many in the South who continued to pursue an agrarian lifestyle that was becoming increasingly anachronistic and out of sync with Washington policy. Relying on primary source data, Cantrell also shows how individual biographies cannot be understood in isolation from their historical context. Likewise, the author proves that historical epochs and political realities cannot be fathomed completely without the bonus of case study data like the stories of men like John Rayner. In Chapter Four, “Shattered Hopes,” Cantrell especially shows how even setbacks and failures can come together to construct a cogent narrative about slow, generational changes. The incremental victories won by activists like Rayner kept hope alive for millions of Americans, even while the dreams of many were shattered on a daily basis. Rayner and his supporters rallied for a more perfect union, empowered with the official, legitimate backing of the federal government. Yet the South still reeled from its Civil War loss of pride, and clung ever tighter to its stranglehold on race politics. Instead of coming up with a collaborative solution to common economic problems, Democrats and Republicans used race as the primary point of cleavage between different special interest groups. While Cantrell omits all but the most essential details of Rayner’s personal life and childhood, readers do glean that his mixed-race heritage placed the man in a unique position. Positioned between worlds, situated in a liminal political and social position, Rayner in many ways epitomized the world of the emerging South: a South that needed more than anything to forge a new identity and political culture. African Americans stood poised and ready to participate in the co-construction of a new social, economic, and political order. Leaders like Rayner were well suited to navigate the complex social world of southern politics and society. Rayner also represents the sometimes underappreciated diversity within Southern society, as his shift between North Carolina and Texas shows both the similarities and differences between their respective cultures. Cantrell also shows how Rayner leveraged his social capital, first by working his way into the Republican party, and then as a strategist for alternative political parties like the Texas People’s Party. At each juncture, Rayner was reminded of the significance of race in American politics, and especially in the political life governing the South. The failure of Reconstruction remains one of the most perplexing elements of American history.