Description:
Wayne Flynt's Duncan Upshaw Fletcher: Dixie's Reluctant Progressive sheds light on one of Florida's most complex political figures. Tracing Fletcher's journey from a post-Civil War Southern lawyer to a four-term U.S. Senator, Flynt captures the tensions between tradition and reform that defined the region. Rich with archival research and nuanced storytelling, this biography portrays Fletcher as a pragmatic force--balancing the expectations of his conservative constituents with the imperatives of progress at the dawn of the 20th century.
Review Quotes:
"A lean and carefully written biography that rescues Duncan Upshaw Fletcher from unmerited obscurity. Flynt has used complementary manuscript and archival collections with excellent results and produced a meaningful contribution to southern and national history." --Journal of Southern History
"All readers are likely to appreciate the attention which this study devotes to the interaction of a politician with his local constituency in the career of Duncan Upshaw Fletcher." --Florida Historical Quarterly