Southern Pamphlets on Secession, November 1860-April 1861

Edited by Jon L. Wakelyn

448 pp., 6 x 9, appends., notes, index

  • Paperback ISBN: 978-0-8078-5644-4
    Published: July 2009
  • E-book EPUB ISBN: 978-0-8078-6614-6
    Published: November 2000
  • E-book PDF ISBN: 979-8-8908-6719-3
    Published: November 2000

Civil War America

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The election of Abraham Lincoln as president in 1860 initiated a heated debate throughout the South about what Republican control of the federal government would mean for the slaveholding states. During the secession crisis of the winter of 1860-61, Southerners spoke out and wrote prolifically on the subject, publishing their views in pamphlets that circulated widely. These tracts constituted a regional propaganda war in which Southerners vigorously debated how best to react to political developments on the national level. In this valuable reference work, Jon Wakelyn has collected twenty representative examples of this long-overlooked literature. Although the pamphlets reflect deep differences of opinion over what Lincoln's intentions were and how the South should respond, all indicate the centrality of slavery to the Southern way of life and reflect a pervasive fear of racial unrest. More generally, the pamphlets reveal a wealth of information about the South's political thought and self-identity at a defining moment in American history. The twenty items included here represent the views of leaders and opinion makers throughout the slaveholding states and are fully annotated. An additional sixty-five pamphlets are listed and briefly described in an appendix.

Originally published in 1996.

A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.

About the Author

Jon L. Wakelyn is professor of history at the Catholic University of America. His books include the Biographical Dictionary of the Confederacy and The Web of Southern Social Relations.


For more information about Jon L. Wakelyn, visit the Author Page.

Reviews

"An important contribution to the history of the American Civil War."--Choice

"This outstanding and unusually useful collection introduces all of the major lines of argument developed by Southerners during the secession crisis."--Civil War History

"Wakelyn, choosing his selections wisely, has produced a book of great value to everyone interested in America's great sectional struggle--to the most knowledgeable of specialists, as well as to students and the general reader."--Eugene D. Genovese, author of The Southern Tradition: The Achievement and Limitations of an American Conservatism

"Southern Pamphlets on Secession is an extremely useful volume for specialists, for undergraduates, and for everyone interested in our national cataclysm. The pamphlets are expertly chosen, expertly introduced, and expertly placed in context."--William W. Freehling, University of Kentucky