Strom Thurmond began his political career as a Democrat strongly opposed to civil rights laws, but eventually he changed both his party and his ideology. Thurmond has been a strong influence on Southern Politics since his days as the Edgefield County superintendent of education. He has had a hand in most of the major events in the Southern political history of the 20th century. Strom Thurmond’s career has been a reflection of the events in southern politics in several ways: his growing up in Edgefield South Carolina, his early politics on the matter of race, his sense of duty to the armed forces, and his Gubernatorial campaign.To understand the man you have to understand his trajectory, where he is from. “Politics have long been an important part of Edgefield's history. Many of the state's leaders came from this area, including ten former Governors: Andrew Pickens, Jr., George McDuffie, Pierce Mason Butler, James H. Hammond, Francis W. Pickens, Milledge Luke Bonham, Jon C. Sheppard, Benjamin Tillman, John Gary Evans, and Strom Thurmond.” “Edgefield County was one of the first counties to mobilize troops for the Civil War, after the war, Martin Gary and M.C. Butler were instrumental in forming the Red Shirt Movement to combat corruption and violence during the Reconstruction.” The people of Edgefield county “were mean people, but of good and honest character.” “They were good about helping each other, but they would also shoot you. They would fight for what they believed in.” An example of this would be when Willie Harris called Strom’s father George Washington Thurmond a “low, dirty scoundrel”. G.W. Thurmond proceeded to shoot him in the middle of the chest, killing him instantly for that dishonor. Strom Thurmond “introduced and unsuccessful bill to allow hiring only white people to work in the capitol, and he voted to exempt Ku Klux Klan pro...
