This story is a fictional account of the rise of the white supremacist movement, specifically as it contributed to the "race riots" that took place in Wilmington, North Carolina, in 1898. Critics argue over what would be a more proper term; some favor "massacre" while a North Carolina state commission ruled that it was a coup d'etat, the only overthrow of a legitimately elected government in United States history. White people attacked and killed Black people in the city and overthrew the county government, establishing white supremacists in power.[1]
Chesnutt anticipated the book would "become lodged in the popular mind as the legitimate successor of Uncle Tom's Cabin... as depicting an era in our national history".[2] The Marrow of Tradition was poorly received in the South and received mixed reviews in the North. It ultimately sold only 3,726 copies in its first year.[3]
