Name/Title
Red Shirt (Loan)Entry/Object ID
L2014.3.5Description
Plain, red cotton shirt with white buttons down the center. There is a single pocket on the left side of the shirt. A more faded red fabric was used around the chest of the shirt. There are a few stains on the shirt, including one near the left shoulder and one near the bottom of the pocket. The shirt appears to be sewn together by a sewing machine.
On Loan from the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum.Context
During the Reconstruction Era, many white supremacy groups used fear tactics to intimidate African Americans and their white supporters. The Ku Klux Klan was one such organization with an anti-Republican political and social agenda. They arrived in South Carolina in 1868, the same year the state’s new constitution allowed for greater equality and representation in government; their actions led to the Ku Klux Klan trials of 1871–1872. In the mid-1870s, South Carolina saw the rise of the Red Shirts, led by members of the Democratic Party and Confederate veterans, including Martin W. Gary (1831–1881). The group used coordinated, military-style processions to violently intimidate others to achieve their own political goals, often resulting in maiming and murder. During Wade Hampton III's (1818–1902) campaign for governor of South Carolina, Red Shirts mounted on horses accompanied Hampton as he traveled the state, inciting fear in Republican voters, particularly African Americans.Clothing/Dress/Costume Details
Article of Clothing/Dress/Costume
ShirtDimensions
Width
22-3/4 inLength
24-1/4 inDimension Notes
Width taken from hem.