Some context: Benjamin Ryan Tillman (August 11, 1847 - July 3, 1918) was a politician of the Democratic Party who served as Governor of South Carolina from 1890 to 1894, and a United States Senator from 1895 until his death in 1918. A white supremacist who opposed civil rights for blacks, Tillman led a paramilitary group of Red Shirts during South Carolina's violent 1876 election. On the floor of the U.S. Senate, he frequently ridiculed blacks, and boasted of having helped to kill them during that campaign. In the 1880s, Tillman, a wealthy landowner, became dissatisfied with the Democratic leadership and led a movement of white farmers calling for reform.
With the Confederacy defeated, South Carolina ratified a new constitution in 1865 that recognized the end of slavery, but basically left the pre-war elites in charge. African-American freedmen, who were the majority of South Carolina's population, were given no vote, and their new freedom was soon restricted by Black Codes that limited their civil rights and required black farm laborers to bind themselves with annual labor contracts. Congress was dissatisfied with this minimal change and required a new constitutional convention and elections with universal male suffrage. As African Americans generally favored the Republican Party at the time, that party controlled the biracial state legislature beginning with the 1868 elections. That campaign was marked by violence--19 Republican and Union League activists were killed in South Carolina's 3rd congressional district alone.  In 1873, two Edgefield lawyers and former Confederate generals, Martin Gary and Matthew C. Butler, began to advocate what became known as the "Edgefield Plan" or "Straightout Plan". They believed that the previous five years had shown it was not possible to outvote African Americans. Gary and Butler deemed compromises with black leaders to be misguided; they felt white men must be restored to their antebellum position of preeminent political power in the state. They proposed that white men form clandestine paramilitary organizations--known as "rifle clubs"--and use force and intimidation to drive the African American from power. Members of the new white groups became known as Red Shirts. Tillman was an early and enthusiastic recruit for his local organization, dubbed the Sweetwater Sabre Club. He became a devoted protege of Gary.  From 1873 to 1876, Tillman served as a member of the Sweetwater club, members of which assaulted and intimidated black would-be voters, killed black political figures, and skirmished with the African-American-dominated state militia. Economic coercion was used as well as physical force: most Edgefield planters would not employ black militiamen or allow them to rent land, and ostracized whites who did.
What was the "Edgefield Plan"?
A: They proposed that white men form clandestine paramilitary organizations--known as "rifle clubs"--
Some context: The Birthday Massacre (abbreviated TBM) is a Canadian band, formed in 1999 in London, Ontario, and currently based in Toronto, Ontario. The current lineup consists of lead vocalist Chibi, rhythm guitarist Rainbow, lead guitarist Falcore, drummer Rhim, keyboardist Owen, and bassist Nate Manor. When the band formed in 1999, they were known as Imagica. This name was inspired from the fantasy novel Imajica (1991) by Clive Barker.
In early July, the band shot a video for "In The Dark" which was directed by Michael Falcore and Rodrigo Gudino, founder and publisher of Rue Morgue Magazine. It premiered on August 28, 2010, as part of Rue Morgue's Festival of Fear and was released to the general public on YouTube on September 7, 2010. The video pays homage to A Nightmare on Elm Street and Legend among other horror and fantasy films.  On September 14, 2010, the Birthday Massacre released the album, Pins and Needles which was recorded in Toronto and in a basement studio in Dundas, Ontario, hometown of Rainbow and Michael Falcore. The album marked the first time the band released all new material on an album and was produced differently from previous albums by using the same guitar and drums tones on each track. Album artwork was created by Vincent Marcone, as well as artwork contributions from Natalie Shau, and Aslan. The album artwork also differed in that it broke from the traditional silhouette art found on other releases.  The band toured America opening up for Otep in July and August then in October toured the UK with fellow Canadian act Raggedy Angry. In November, they continued touring America on a co-headlining run with Black Veil Brides, along with Dommin and Aural Vampire as supporting acts. The band also made a lineup change by adding Nate Manor, formally of Wednesday 13, to replace O.E on bass. The tour's setlist featured five to six tracks off of Pins and Needles, with "Always" and "Midnight" rotating during different shows. 2010 also saw the launch of the band's new website TheBirthdayMassacre.com created by Owen and the group.  In early 2011, the band played the Opera House as part of JUNOFEST with fellow Toronto band Die Mannequin and Montreal band Ariel. On May 21, 2011, The Birthday Massacre announced that Imaginary Monsters would be released on August 9, 2011, through Metropolis Records. Later in the summer it was announced that the band would be the support act for an upcoming North American tour by Japanese metal band Dir En Grey beginning in December. On August 4, 2011 the band released the Imaginary Monsters EP to listen to in full on their Myspace profile. Imaginary Monsters includes remixes of tracks from their 2010 album Pins and Needles, the remixes made by Combichrist, SKOLD, Kevvy Mental & Dave Ogilvie, Tweaker, and Assemblage 23. The EP also features the video for In The Dark. On November 29, 2011, the band embarked on a small headlining tour across Southeastern United States and on December 4, 2011, joined as the supporting act for Dir En Grey.
What else did the band do during 2010-12?
A:
2010 also saw the launch of the band's new website TheBirthdayMassacre.com created by Owen and the group.