This book investigates how liberal political theory was utilized to justify and maintain racial hierarchy in the American South during the Jim Crow era. Marek D. Steedman examines the intellectual foundations of Southern political thought, arguing that proponents of racial exclusion did not simply reject liberal ideals but rather reinterpreted them. By analyzing the concepts of dependence and citizenship, the author demonstrates how these frameworks were manipulated to exclude Black Americans from the body politic while maintaining a veneer of democratic legitimacy.

Scholars and historians recognize this work as a rigorous contribution to the study of political theory and racial history. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which is best suited for those familiar with the intersection of political philosophy and American history.