Christopher Newman Midwest Political Science Association 2004
Elgin Community College Dark Tobacco Patch War—Revolution Analysis
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its famous J-curve of increasing prosperity followed by a sharp drop in circumstances and
the loss of future expectations); the institutional imbalance analysis in which discontent is
a product of the economic, political and educational subsystems of society growing at
sharply different rates, rendering adjustment among the societal elements difficult if not
impossible; and the resource mobilization analysis in which the truism that would-be
revolutionaries must have the material wherewithal to rebel.
65
In regard to this latter
point, the existence of widespread discontent was a necessary condition for not only the
armed Night Rider movement to rise in the Dark Patch,
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but also for their activities to
continue.
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The tacit, passive support of the population raised the group to the status of
“social bandits”
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“Social Bandit” is a term developed by Eric Hobsbawm to describe
“…outlaws whom the lord and state regard as criminals, but who
remain within the peasant society, and are considered by their people as
heroes, as champions, avengers, fighters for justice, perhaps even leaders
of liberation and in any case as men to be admired, helped, and
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Comparative and Historical Study 5-6.
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Timothy Wickham-Crowley, “Toward a Comparative Sociology of Latin American
Guerrilla Movements” in Theoretical, Comparative and Historical Studies 288-289.
“Four conditions appear to be necessary and sufficient [for successful revolution],
although as these conditions interact and overlap with one another, it is difficult to say
exactly where one leaves off and another begins. For any particular national society, they
are: (1) a tolerant or permissive world context; (2) a severe political crisis paralyzing the
administrative and coercive capacities of the stat; (3) widespread rural rebellion; and (4)
dissident elite political movements.” Walter L. Gold, “The Mexican Revolution” in
Theoretical, Comparative and Historical Studies 214.
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“Many persons sympathized with the [Night Rider] movement who never joined it, and
the majority of those who did join never engaged in destructive activities. In fact, most
members were solicited not to participate in the raids, whippings, burnings, etc., but for
grand jury and court service. Counting members and sympathizers, the Riders totaled a
force of probably 50,000 men and women out of a population of 700,000 [adults and
children, whites and Negroes] in the Planter’s Protective Association area of the Black
Patch. With this bulwark, the Riders knew their power and operated accordingly. Such
sentiment and support would not have been accorded them if there had not been a cause
for their activities.” Tobacco Night Riders 126.
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Richard Maxwell Brown, Strain of Violence: Historical Studies of American Violence
and Vigilantism. (New York: Oxford University Press, 1975) 16.
Convention