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In an era during which the United States Supreme Court handed down some of its most important decisions, including Brown v. Board of Education (1954) , Baker v. Carr (1962) , and Miranda v. Arizona (1966) , three senators from South Carolina - Olin Johnston, Strom Thurmond, and Ernest "Fritz" Hollings - waged war on the court's progressive agenda by targeting the federal judicial nominations process. To Face Down Dixie explores these senators' role in some of the most contentious confirmation battles in recent history, including those of Thurgood Marshall, Abe Fortas, and Clement Haynsworth. In scrutinizing Supreme Court nominees and attempting to restrict the power of the nine justices of the court, these senators defied not only the leadership of the Democratic Party but also the Senate traditions of hierarchy and seniority.