By the very nature of its subject matter, The Strange Career of Jim Crow is largely an objective, academic work focusing on periods and events of southern history from the end of Reconstruction through 1965. The use of the word "strange" in the title, however, certainly provides a hint to the reader regarding the author's analysis and interpretation of a volatile march through time, characterized by upheavals and lack of continuity that other regions of the U.S. did not experience.