Secession Research Articles

The Unbearable Whiteness of John Brown: Theatrical Legacies and Performing Abolition

Abstract: John Brown is a figure so intensely contested as to embody diametrically opposed meanings according to the varied contexts in which his image has been activated. At times hailed as the man who started the US Civil War, Brown has been variously described as a righteous abolitionist, a religious zealot, a gifted orator, a formidable military strategist, a self-appointed white savior, and a madman. Today, Brown is conjured in the name of all manner of causes, from leftist gun clubs to collegiate sports, while his theatricalized image is activated in wildly disparate ways. The apparent singularity of Brown as a historical figure, together with his ready adoption and deployment across various arenas—from entertainment to revolutionary politics—presents a problem familiar to theatre and performance scholars, namely the space between the image or concept of a person (or a character) and their actual performance, in life or onstage. There is perhaps an obvious tension in the ways that John Brown is remembered and reperformed and for whom he is remembered and reperformed. Or, as Ted A. Smith points out in thinking with Brown: "An image, however iconic, is not an argument."

New Perspectives on Civil War–Era Kentucky ed. by John David Smith (review)

New Perspectives on Civil War–Era Kentucky ed. by John David Smith (review)

Animal Histories of the Civil War Era

Animal Histories of the Civil War Era

Madmen and Matriarchs: Gender, Race, and the Reimagining of Creole Identity in Johnelle , by Alfred Mercier

Abstract: Still relatively overlooked, Johnelle by Alfred Mercier is an intriguing meditation on societal collapse and resilience. Shaped by Mercier’s personal experiences and political leanings, the novel delves into motherhood, fatherhood, heredity, and mental illness, and links infanticide to the demise of Francophone Creole culture. It positions female characters as pivotal to Louisiana’s future, contrasting them with male figures whose relevance fades in the aftermath of the American Civil War. This essay examines how Mercier challenged nineteenth-century literary conventions by using gender both as a narrative device and an ontological framework. To a white, crumbling patriarchy, he opposed a multi-racial matriarchal system, and introduced a gender-non-conforming character, inviting readers to envision new possibilities for the future. Ultimately, Johnelle presents a radical vision that questions racial and gender hierarchies and advocates for alternative social structures in postbellum Louisiana.

Junta Democrática: Californios and Reconstruction in California

Abstract During the Civil War and Reconstruction Era, elite Californios—Mexicans of mixed-race descent made citizens by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo—supported legislation and political platforms that rejected the varied attempts at biracial democracy. Through an examination of the political life of Antonio Coronel, this article reconsiders elite Californios as state makers and obstructors of Reconstruction in California. At the end of the U.S.-Mexico War and until his death in 1894, Coronel, like other Californios, collaborated with Anglo American politicians to maintain his regional power by supporting a racially restrictive state. In offering their cooperation, elite Californios momentarily maintained their privileged social status in areas where Californios held local political control, such as Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. While Anglo American settlers relied on elite Californios for political legitimacy and state making, they viewed Californios as unassimilable into whiteness because of their Spanish culture and mixed ancestry, and they gradually denied Californio claims to racial superiority and socio-legal privileges, as political cooperation became less crucial to the success of the state project. As a direct result of Coronel’s and other elite Californios’ cooperation before the U.S. Civil War (1861–1865) and through Reconstruction (1863–1879), the California government rejected the federal government’s experiment in biracial democracy and supported policies of white supremacy that targeted the state’s growing non-white populations, a rejection that eventually jeopardized Californio power, including Coronel’s. This article demonstrates that Californio participation was crucial to the state’s rejection of Reconstruction.

What to Do after the Emancipation Proclamation? A Princeton Seminary Alumnus’s Views on Racial Issues and Slavery in Brazil and the United States (1852–1867)

Abstract This article reflects on how the concept of race and views on African Americans and Afro-Brazilians permeated the American Presbyterian missions that operated in the Brazilian empire in the nineteenth century. This analysis considers the writing and reading of Ashbel Green Simonton (1833–1867), a Princeton Seminary alum sent to Brazil as a missionary by the Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (PCUSA). In his missionary activity, Simonton founded the first Presbyterian Church and the first evangelical periodical in Brazil. Considering the intercessions between the racial theories stemming from natural history and nineteenth-century theological anthropologies, as well as the missionary’s interactions with the racial and slavery issues that permeated the American Civil War (1861–1865), this article analyzes Simonton’s journal (1852–1867), the books requested by Simonton at Princeton Theological Seminary (1856–1858), and the periodical Imprensa Evangélica (Evangelical Press, 1864–1867).

A Timeline of Journalistic Influence of Writing on the Gilded Age in American Literature

The themes found in the writings by authors during the Gilded Age are still prevalent in writings of the twenty-first century. The Gilded Age, a term used to describe a period of economic boom after the American Civil War at the turn of the century, influenced communication to readers by using the ethos unearthed by writers who were opposed to a particular politician and their policies. The Gilded Age was a time of rapid economic growth through the invention of the railroad and business. What looked like a golden time was an era of great growing pains in America between the industrial worker and the wealthy business owner. What the Gilded Age symbolized in both life and writing has become a model of writing that extended to current literature. American writers contributed to a great body of literature that flourished during the Gilded Age. The Gilded Age was a time of rapid economic growth through the invention of the railroad and business. Literature was used as a social revolt that violated the growing power of business and growing government corruption that outlined the utopias of the inefficiency of a capitalistic system. Within genres of writing such as Poetry, the later nineteenth century, and early years of the twentieth century were a poor period for American poetry providing themes of distress, doubts, and fears about American life. Within the genres of writing, newspaper writing played a crucial role in exposing scandals, the pathos of the American Dream, and the logos or persuasion by using the trials of society. Writing was a powerful communication tool during the Gilded Age that allowed writers to target events during this era. Newspaper writing was important to communicating prominent issues to the public, as it upheld ideals to question government and keep it accountable. However, the Gilded Age writings helped to permanently etch in the minds of readers the importance of themes that were prevalent post-Civil War that impacted the writing and writers of American Literature.

Crisis Reporting and Professionalism in Journalism: An Analysis of Reporting Practices in Cameroon and Nigeria

ABSTRACT This study examines the dynamics of journalistic professionalism in crisis reporting in Nigeria and Cameroon: countries which have experienced sustained violent secessionist crises since 2015 and 2016 respectively. These crises have led to new approaches to crisis reporting, in which local journalists cover events amid severe violence and the strong nationalist ideologies typical of secessionist movements. Using an innovative mixed method that combines regression analysis and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), the article explores the nuances of journalistic professionalism in the reporting of these crises through a survey of 302 journalists from the secessionist regions in these countries. With professionalism operationalized through objectivity, the regression analysis revealed the use of emotions, the inclusion of ideologies on nationalism/secessionism, the freedom of journalists, their use of multiple/variety sources in reporting, and the inclusion of opposing views as factors affecting journalistic objectivity in crisis reporting in Cameroon and Nigeria. The FsQCA results further stress the nuances in the independence of these factors and the complex circumstances where their presence or absence could enhance objectivity in reporting. In this way, the study reveals the dialectics of existing literature on media systems using an innovative methodological approach.

Of Age: Boy Soldiers and Military Power in the Civil War Era by Frances M. Clarke and Rebecca Jo Plant (review)

Of Age: Boy Soldiers and Military Power in the Civil War Era by Frances M. Clarke and Rebecca Jo Plant (review)

Medicine, Science, and Making Race in Civil War America by Leslie A. Schwalm (review)

Medicine, Science, and Making Race in Civil War America by Leslie A. Schwalm (review)

Heartsick and Astonished: Divorce in Civil War–Era West Virginia ed. by Allison Dorothy Fredette (review)

Heartsick and Astonished: Divorce in Civil War–Era West Virginia ed. by Allison Dorothy Fredette (review)

Unveiling Extra-Institutional Agency in Nationalist Contention: Transformative Events and Grassroots Mobilizations in Scotland and Catalonia (1980s-2000s)

The literature on nationalist movements in Western democracies has almost exclusively focused on ethno-nationalist parties by attributing to them the key-role of “ethnic entrepreneurs”. Yet, non-institutional actors such as social movement organizations and grassroots groups can significantly impact the history of territorial contention and reshape movements. Their role is thus explored in the Scottish and Catalan struggles for selfdetermination between the 1980s and the 2000s. Firstly, the historical analysis of transformative events shows how the latter were set in motion by non-institutional actors. While Scottish organizations and groups operated to foster cross-party cooperation, the Catalan counterparts operated to mobilize society and popular support. Secondly, a thematic analysis of primary sources shows that the mobilizations fuelled by these events produced organizational and cultural changes in both nationalist movements. These changes left their legacy suggesting that former grassroots mobilizations made an important difference to resources mobilized in the current secessionist movements.

In Ottoman – British Commercial Relations Efforts to Increase Cotton Production in Smyrna and Its Surroundings (1855–1870)

ABSTRACT During the mid–19th century, cotton production and trade became increasingly important in and around Smyrna. This was due to a combination of factors, including favourable climate conditions, fertile plains in the region, and international demand from England and other European countries. These countries were unable to purchase American cotton due to the American Civil War, which made cotton produced in Smyrna even more valuable and in demand. The purpose of this study is to examine the changes and developments in cotton production and trade in Smyrna between 1855–1870, with a particular focus on the general course of Anglo—Ottoman commercial relations during this period. The sources used for this study include the Ottoman Archives, British Press, official publications, and reports. This study aims to shed light on the economic and commercial history of Smyrna during this period, by analysing the factors that contributed to the growth of cotton production and trade in the region. By examining the primary sources available, we can gain a better understanding of the social, political, and economic context in which cotton production and trade took place, and the impact it had on the local and international economy.

Representation of Femininity in the Poetry Books of the Era of Revolution and Civil War

The article examines several poetry collections of 1917–1922, which are of interest from the point of view of the representation of femininity both in the choice of titles and in the motif-figurative and thematic content. This period in the history of Russia is characterized by a crisis of previous social and cultural norms and behaviors, including traditional femininity, characterized by the emergence of new gender roles, for example, a revolutionary or a warrior woman. However, the analysis of women’s poetry books demonstrates that the former archetypes of femininity or recognizable types, for example, the image of a mother or a bohemian fatal beauty, not only do not disappear, but are also actualized, and women poets of the new wave boldly express their author’s subjectivity than their predecessors in the first decades of the twentieth century.

Secessionist Agitations and Human Security: The Quest for the Agitations of IPOB in Southeastern Nigeria

Human security is a vital aspect of a state’s existence and it's performance in both local and international system. However, in Nigeria, the state of human security has been intercepted by many obstacles. The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) secessionist movement is a major interception. The arrest of the group’s leader, Nnamdi Kanu, in 2015 triggered a rise in the three-year movement and ultimately a fall in human security in the country. This study investigates the relationship between the IPOB secessionist agitation and human security as well as the implications that the agitations have on human security in Nigeria. The study adopts the relative deprivation theory as the theoretical framework to analyse the underlying causes of secessionist movements. Utilizing a secondary method of data collection, the research relies on an extensive literature review and analysis of relevant sources, including books, journals, and online articles. The findings of this study reveal that IPOB agitations have repercussions on human security in the country. The study therefore recommends facilitating open and constructive dialogue between the Nigerian government and representatives of IPOB to address the root causes of secessionist agitations. Received: 12 March 2024 / Accepted: 20 May 2024 / Published: 02 July 2024

Is it Real History or Illusion?—Exploration of Narrative Strategies in Ambrose Bierce’s “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of Ambrose Bierce’s “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”, exploring the confluence of historical context, narrative ingenuity, and thematic depth in his work. Born during the tumultuous Civil War era, Bierce’s experiences as a Union soldier profoundly influenced his literary focus, notably in his portrayal of war’s brutalities and psychological impact. The paper examines how Bierce’s narrative style, characterized by a blend of stark realism and surreal elements, set him apart in the late 19th-century literary landscape. His most acclaimed work, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”, is dissected for its innovative narrative structure, symbolic language, and exploration of existential themes such as the fragility of life, the inevitability of death, and the human psyche’s struggle with freedom and fate. The study highlights Bierce’s unique contribution to the short story genre and his lasting influence on American literature.

The Devil’s outriders: a LiDAR and KOCOA investigation of the battle of Buckhead Creek, 1864

ABSTRACT Funded by an American Battlefield Protection Program grant, LiDAR and KOCOA, guided a systematic metal detector survey to identify, and evaluate levels of preservation and battle pattern signatures from the Battle of Buckhead Creek, the largest American Civil War battle site in Southeast Georgia untouched by development. In November 1864, during Sherman’s March to the Sea, Confederate and Union cavalry forces waged a running battle across Jenkins and Burke County, Georgia. These actions were ephemeral events in an archaeological sense, in time-depth and their impact on the archaeological record. However, this paper demonstrates that the application of conflict archaeology methodologies can identify and evaluate these sites, despite their wide-ranging geographical context, short-time spans, and the impacts of illicit metal detecting on the battle site.

Disability in the Civil War Era

Abstract: This essay features a discussion among several scholars of disability in the Civil War era on the major themes and issues within this small field. The panelists, including both historians and literature scholars, reflect the interdisciplinary nature of disability studies and make the case for why disability analysis is critical to understanding of the Civil War era. Disability, they argue, enriches our studies of slavery and freedom, military service, federal power and bureaucracy, the home front and veteranhood. The panelists also consider paths for future research, such as increasing our use of material history and exploring disabled lives during Reconstruction.

No Right to an Honest Living: The Struggles of Boston's Black Workers in the Civil War Era by Jacqueline Jones (review)

No Right to an Honest Living: The Struggles of Boston's Black Workers in the Civil War Era by Jacqueline Jones (review)

Introduction: Hog Reeves Are Part of the State , Too

Abstract: Historians of the early American republic pay the least attention to the most powerful form of government in that period: local governments. Social historians and legal historians are building a historiography of municipal power in the early republic, however, and this essay introduces a forum to expand our understanding of local governance. Focusing on nightwatchmen, overseers of the poor, justices of the peace, and sheriffs, this essay and forum flesh out the contours of the local state between the Revolutionary and Civil War eras.