Government of Our Own: The Making of the Confederacy [Hardcover]

William C. Davis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1994

In February 1861, delegates from six secessionist states met in Montgomery, Alabama, determined to create a new union. Drawing on previously untapped primary sources, prizewinning author William C. Davis presents the first full-length history of the founding of the Confederate government.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

For four crucial months in 1861, delegates from all over the South met in Montgomery, Alabama, to establish a new nation. Davis (Jefferson Davis: The Man and the Hour, LJ 11/15/91) tells their story in this new work, another example of Davis's fine storytelling skill and an indispensable guide to understanding the formation of the Confederate government. Among the issues Davis examines are revising the Constitution to meet Southern needs, banning the importation of slaves, and determining whether the convention could be considered a congress. Also revealed are the many participating personalities, their ambitions and egos, politicking and lobbying for the presidency of the new nation, and the nature of the city of Montgomery itself. Not many books cover this period. A valuable and enjoyable addition to Confederate history and the background of the Civil War.
Robert A. Curtis, Taylor Memorial P.L., Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

This excellent book is much like Catherine Drinker Bowen's classic Miracle at Philadelphia (1966), which in almost minute-by-minute fashion recounted the proceedings whereby representatives of the 13 newly independent states met to draw up the Constitution, under which our nation is still organized. Davis, a veteran writer on the Civil War period, whose previous book was the well-presented Jefferson Davis (1991), follows the discussions that, in a four-month period in 1861, created a constitution under which the seceded southern states formed a nation-state. The book's greatest asset--in addition to providing an engrossing chronicle of the nation building that went on in Montgomery, Alabama, over the course of those several weeks--is the clarification of the issues surrounding secession and why the endeavor in Montgomery, whose purpose was not to scrap the U.S. Constitution but simply to adapt it to the needs of the southern states, did not succeed in devising a sovereign nation that could last longer than a split second. Handled well here, too, is the way Davis brings back to life and breath the personalities involved, particularly Jefferson Davis, the provisionally appointed and then duly elected chief executive of the Confederacy. A special book for all U.S. history collections. Brad Hooper

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 550 pages
• Publisher: Free Press; First Edition edition (September 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0029077354
• ISBN-13: 978-0029077351
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #552,329 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well-written account of founding of Confederate Government, April 24, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Government of Our Own: The Making of the Confederacy (Hardcover)

I read this book this past year not having anything more than a general idea of Confederate history although I am a lawyer and very interested in U.S. constitutional legal history. I thought Prof. Davis did an excellent job of telling the story of the people and political forces which resulted ultimately in the writing and issuance of the Confederate Constitution. Davis's writing style is engaging, fast paced yet informative. The story "flowed," and the book was a "page turner." I felt he "got inside the head" of the principals of whom he wrote. I found that I particularly liked and was interested and intrigued by the figure of Alexander Stevens ("Little Aleck"). Davis's book made me want to read more about the Confederacy and about this remarkable Southern politician who served as the South's vice president

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Confederate government in Montgomery, August 3, 2004

By 

James Robinson "James Robinson" (Bainbridge, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Government of Our Own: The Making of the Confederacy (Hardcover)

William C."The writing Machine" Davis has a very readable style that is so fluid you read without realizing it! He is a very interesting writer in that he brings color to history. Davis performs wonderfully on describing the factions existing within the legislative congress that created the confederacy. He draws from the letters of a great deal of the political giants of the provisional Confederate government and also uses a chronological approach to portray events of the creation of the Confederate government in Montgomery, Alabama. He concentrates mostly on the legislative events in the first few months of 1861; although, he descriptively and almost in detail paints a verbal portrait of the view of Montgomery. This book is definitely a good buy for someone wishing to learn about the Southern Confederate Constitutional convention!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Look at the Founding of the CSA, April 1, 2009

By 

Kevin M. Derby (Florida) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Government of Our Own: The Making of the Confederacy (Hardcover)

In "A Government of Our Own", William C. Davis provides a comprehensive and readable survey of the founding of the Confederacy. Davis looks at the creation of the Confederate constitution as well as the election of Jefferson Davis and the naming of his Cabinet. He also provides a good look at how the South moved towards war with the North.

Davis is at both his best and worst when he offers quick biographical sketches of some of the leading political actors. He provides excellent sketches on Jefferson Davis, Alexander Stephens and a host of forgotten Southern statesmen. The problem is if Davis does not care for a politician, he often goes out of his way to bash them; this can be seen very clearly in the cases of Thomas Cobb and Robert Barnwell Rhett.

Studies of the Confederacy focus on the military and not the government. This book fills a gap. Davis offers an excellent look at how the Confederate government was founded and the politics behind it.