The Rise and Fall of the Branchhead Boys - by Rob Christensen

Book Synopsis

Louisiana had the Longs, Virginia had the Byrds, Georgia had the Talmadges, and North Carolina had the Scotts. In this history of North Carolina's most influential political family, Rob Christensen tells the story of the Scotts and how they dominated Tar Heel politics. Three generations of Scotts--W. Kerr Scott, Robert Scott, and Meg Scott Phipps--held statewide office. Despite stereotypes about rural white southerners, the Scotts led a populist and progressive movement strongly supported by rural North Carolinians--the so-called Branchhead Boys, the rural grassroots voters who lived at the heads of tributaries throughout the heart of North Carolina. Though the Scotts held power in various government positions in North Carolina for generations, they were instrumental in their own downfall. From Kerr Scott's regression into reactionary race politics to Meg Scott Phipps's corruption trial and subsequent prison sentence, the Scott family lost favor in their home state, their influence dimmed and their legacy in question.

Weaving together interviews from dozens of political luminaries and deep archival research, Christensen offers an engaging and definitive historical account of not only the Scott family's legacy but also how race and populism informed North Carolina politics during the twentieth century.

Review Quotes

"While the Scott family is interesting in their own right, the book also provides significant insight on North Carolina politics throughout the 20th century, and how the policies and priorities of the Democratic and Republican parties and their voters have changed over time. . . . [H]ighly recommended."--North Carolina Libraries

"A remarkable book about the Scott family and its influence on North Carolina progressive politics. . . . Christensen uses numerous primary sources, including family papers, diaries, letters, newspapers, oral histories, and government documents, as well as abundant secondary sources, to tell his engaging story. . . . [Which] provides fascinating insights into North Carolina's progressive politics in the twentieth century."--Journal of Southern History

"Christensen does an outstanding job of patching together what had to be hundreds of documents, letters and interviews to deliver a concisely written and thought-provoking historical account that is both rich in detail yet not overwhelming. He presents the story of the Scott political dynasty without editorial comment. In the best reporting tradition he places facts above commentary, providing just enough context to sharpen the clarity of sometimes murky events."--Burlington Times-News

"Compelling and exhaustively researched. . . . A lively political history."--North Carolina Historical Review

"Longtime newspaper reporter Rob Christensen draws on media accounts, interviews, and oral histories to prepare a balanced assessment of these two political careers."--CHOICE

"This beautifully written political biography . . . [is] an insightful and eminently readable examination of the Scott family's political legacy."--Journal of American History

About the Author

Rob Christensen is the former political columnist for the News and Observer in Raleigh and is the author of The Paradox of Tar Heel Politics.