During the Civil War; Confederates fought for much more than their political independence. They also fought to prove the distinctiveness of the Southern people and to legitimate their desire for a separate national existence through the creation of a uniquely Southern literature and culture. In this important new book; Michael Bernath follows the activities of a group of Southern writers; thinkers; editors; publishers; educators; and ministers--whom he labels Confederate cultural nationalists--in order to trace the rise and fall of a cultural movement dedicated to liberating the South from its longtime dependence on Northern books; periodicals; and teachers.This struggle for Confederate intellectual independence was seen as a vital part of the larger war effort. For the Southern nationalists; independence won on the battlefield would be meaningless as long as Southerners remained in a state of cultural vassalage to their enemy. As new Confederate publications appeared at a surprising rate and Southerners took steps toward establishing their own system of education; cultural nationalists believed they saw the Confederacy coalescing into a true nation. Ultimately; however; Confederates proved no more able to win their intellectual independence than their political freedom. By analyzing the motives driving the struggle for Confederate intellectual independence; by charting its wartime accomplishments; and by assessing its failures; Bernath makes provocative arguments about the nature of Confederate nationalism; life within the Confederacy; and the perception of Southern cultural distinctiveness.
#3751426 in Books The University of North Carolina Press 2002-03-25Ingredients: Example IngredientsOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 .96 x 6.06 x 9.62l; #File Name: 0807826782320 pages
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