When Slavery Was Called Freedom

When Slavery Was Called Freedom
Author: John Patrick Daly
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
Total Pages: 220
Release: 2014-10-17
Genre: History
ISBN: 0813158516
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When Slavery Was Called Freedom uncovers the cultural and ideological bonds linking the combatants in the Civil War era and boldly reinterprets the intellectual foundations of secession. John Patrick Daly dissects the evangelical defense of slavery at the heart of the nineteenth century's sectional crisis. He brings a new understanding to the role of religion in the Old South and the ways in which religion was used in the Confederacy. Southern evangelicals argued that their unique region was destined for greatness, and their rhetoric gave expression and a degree of coherence to the grassroots assumptions of the South. The North and South shared assumptions about freedom, prosperity, and morality. For a hundred years after the Civil War, politicians and historians emphasized the South's alleged departures from national ideals. Recent studies have concluded, however, that the South was firmly rooted in mainstream moral, intellectual, and socio-economic developments and sought to compete with the North in a contemporary spirit. Daly argues that antislavery and proslavery emerged from the same evangelical roots; both Northerners and Southerners interpreted the Bible and Christian moral dictates in light of individualism and free market economics. When the abolitionist's moral critique of slavery arose after 1830, Southern evangelicals answered the charges with the strident self-assurance of recent converts. They went on to articulate how slavery fit into the "genius of the American system" and how slavery was only right as part of that system.

Polemical Pain

Polemical Pain
Author: Margaret Abruzzo
Publisher: JHU Press
Total Pages: 340
Release: 2011-05-01
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1421401274
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In 2008 and 2009, the United States Congress apologized for the “fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality, and inhumanity of slavery.” Today no one denies the cruelty of slavery, but few issues inspired more controversy in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Abolitionists denounced the inhumanity of slavery, while proslavery activists proclaimed it both just and humane. Margaret Abruzzo delves deeply into the slavery debate to better understand the nature and development of humanitarianism and how the slavery issue helped shape modern concepts of human responsibility for the suffering of others. Abruzzo first traces the slow, indirect growth in the eighteenth century of moral objections to slavery's cruelty, which took root in awareness of the moral danger of inflicting unnecessary pain. Rather than accept pain as inescapable, as had earlier generations, people fought to ease, discredit, and abolish it. Within a century, this new humanitarian sensibility had made immoral the wanton infliction of pain. Abruzzo next examines how this modern understanding of humanity and pain played out in the slavery debate. Drawing on shared moral-philosophical concepts, particularly sympathy and benevolence, pro- and antislavery writers voiced starkly opposing views of humaneness. Both sides constructed their moral identities by demonstrating their own humanity and criticizing the other’s insensitivity. Understanding this contest over the meaning of humanity—and its ability to serve varied, even contradictory purposes—illuminates the role of pain in morality. Polemical Pain shows how the debate over slavery’s cruelty played a large, unrecognized role in shaping moral categories that remain pertinent today.

Jefferson Davis, Constitutionalist

Jefferson Davis, Constitutionalist
Author: Jefferson Davis
Publisher:
Total Pages: 656
Release: 1923
Genre: Confederate States of America
ISBN:
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The true story of the Southern Confederacy lies in the letters, speeches, and State papers of its leaders; and its best justification will come after such historical materials have been made accessible to the truth-loving historian of the future. The private and public papers of such Southern leaders as Calhoun, Davis, and Lee will reveal, as nothing else can, the principles for which they contended, and give to posterity the true estimate of their lives and deeds. -- Introduction.

The Politics of Private Property

The Politics of Private Property
Author: Simone Knewitz
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 299
Release: 2021-04-21
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1793623767
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Located at the intersections of law and culture, The Politics of Private Propertyprovides a fresh perspective on the functions of private property within U.S. cultural discourse by establishing a long historical arch from the early nineteenth to the twenty-first century. The study challenges the assumption of an unquestioned cultural consensus in the United States on the subject of individual property rights, instead mobilizing property as an analytical category to examine how social and political debates generate competing and contested claims to ownership. The property narratives arising out of political conflicts, the book suggests, serve to naturalize the unequal social and economic structures and legitimize the hegemonic order, which however remains to be shifting and subject to challenges. Analyzing the property narratives at the heart of the U.S. American self-conception, The Politics of Private Property addresses the gap between the ideal of the U.S. as a universal middle-class society, characterized by a wide diffusion of property ownership, and the actual social reality which is defined by unequal dissemination of wealth and race-based structures of exclusion.

The Life and Work of Jefferson Davis

The Life and Work of Jefferson Davis
Author: Jefferson Davis
Publisher: Good Press
Total Pages: 3025
Release: 2024-01-17
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN:
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The anthology 'The Life and Work of Jefferson Davis' presents an intricate exploration of one of the most polarizing figures in American history, through a blend of literary styles ranging from biographical sketches to analytical essays. The collection captures the multifaceted persona of Davis, not only as the President of the Confederacy but also as a man of letters, a politician, and a soldier, offering readers a comprehensive view of his life, ideology, and legacy. The diversity within the pages of this anthology underscores the complexity of Southern identity, the nuances of American Civil War history, and the enduring debate over Davis's place in American historiography, making it a significant contribution to the field. The contributors, Jefferson Davis himself and his biographer Frank H. Alfriend, bring together a powerful combination of firsthand insights and scholarly analysis. Davis provides a unique introspective into his own life, complemented by Alfriend's external perspective shaped by his historical and cultural insights, positioning this anthology at the convergence of personal memoir and scholarly biography. Together, they illuminate the societal and political undercurrents of the 19th century American South, adding depth to the discourse on Confederate legacy and American history. For scholars, students, and enthusiasts of American history, 'The Life and Work of Jefferson Davis' offers a nuanced and detailed examination of a contentious figure. The anthology encourages readers to engage with the complexities of historical narratives, providing a valuable resource for understanding the myriad ways in which individual lives can reflect broader cultural and political landscapes. Its a must-read for those seeking to unravel the intricate tapestry of America's past, offering a rare blend of personal reflection and academic analysis.