Thomas Dixon, Jr. and the Birth of Modern America

"Thomas Dixon, Jr. (1864-1946) is best remembered today as the author of the racist novels that served as the basis for D. W. Griffith's controversial 1915 classic film The Birth of a Nation. But in his lifetime, Dixon also enjoyed great renown as a minister, lecturer, lawyer, and actor. And although the native southerner's blatant racist, chauvinist, and white supremacist views are abhorrent today, at the time they found enthusiastic reception among his audiences throughout the country. This book explains why. Distinguished scholars of religion, film, literature, music, history, and gender studies offer a provocative examination of Dixon's ideas, personal life, and career and in the process illuminate the evolution of white racism in the early twentieth century and its legacy down to the present." "The contributors analyze Dixon's sermons, books, plays, and films, seeking to understand the appeal of his message within the white culture of the Progressive era. They also explore the critical responses of Dixon's African American contemporaries."--BOOK JACKET.