After Secession: Jefferson Davis and the Failure of Confederate Nationalism [Paperback]

Paul D. Escott (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1992 | ISBN-10: 0807118079 | ISBN-13: 978-0807118078

The secession of the southern states marked the beginning of the trial of Confederate nationalism. The slaveholding elite that had led the South out of the Union now had to solidify its support among nonslaveholding small farmers, a class that constituted the bulk of the white population. Jefferson Davis and his new government were greatly hampered in their bid for widespread public support, partially because of the same force that had resulted in seccession--the strong states' rights predisposition of many southerners and their opposition to a strong central government--and partially because of the great social and economic gap that separated the governed from the governors. In After Secession, Paul D. Escott focuses on the challenges the South's political ideals presented to Davis in wartime and on the ways in which growing class resentments among citizens in the countryside affected the war effort. Escott examines Davis' policies, offering thought-provoking new interpretations of the Confederate government's means of decision making and its failure to respond to the needs of ordinary citizens. The result is both a fresh look at the pivotal role that strong leadership plays in the establishment of a new nation and a revealing study of how Jefferson Davis' frustrations increasingly affected the quality of his presidency.

Product Details

• Paperback: 295 pages
• Publisher: Louisiana State University Press (August 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807118079
• ISBN-13: 978-0807118078
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,056,234 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Insight to a Leader, March 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: After Secession: Jefferson Davis and the Failure of Confederate Nationalism (Paperback)

Paul D. Escott shines a light on the President of the Confederacy and reveils new information about why the Civil War ended in the maner in which it did. Escott focuses on the attempts to strengthen Confederate Nationalism, particularly focusing on the efforts of Jefferson Davis. Davis' characteristics and attitudes are respectful analized by Escott to determine how they affected the survival of the Confederate States of America. Escott also looks at Davis' attitudes towards his generals and cabinet members, compairing them to that of Abraham Lincoln. This book particularly appeals to those that enjoy the Civil War, but is also enjoyable to those that would just like to know more about this aspect of American history.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Escott blames the wrong person, January 19, 2006

By 

T. Kelleher (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: After Secession: Jefferson Davis and the Failure of Confederate Nationalism (Paperback)

Paul D. Escott's well researched book refutes its own thesis--that Jefferson Davis was largely responsible for the failure of the Confederacy to coalesce into unified country. What one ultimately realizes is that Escott wanted to blame Davis and disregarded what his own evidence told him, that governors such as Thomas Cobb of Georgia were actively undermining the Confederacy in an attempt to increase their own power over their states.

I give the book three stars because it is an excellent resource; anyone seeking a book from which to begin a literature search would be well served to start here. The book gets no higher ranking because of the weakness of his thesis in light of the evidence presented in this book. Indeed, rewriting the first chapter to blame the governors and unwilling citizens of the Confederacy would automatically earn the book five stars.