Member Review Madness Rules the Hour: Charleston, 1860 and the Mania for War

CMWinkler

Colonel
Retired Moderator
Joined
Oct 17, 2012
Location
Middle Tennessee
51U5MH3MtSL._SL160_.jpg


by Paul Starobin

New York: Perseus Public Affairs, 2017. 296. Pp. xii, 290. $27.00. ISBN: 1610396227

South Carolina Rushing Blindly into Disaster

In this interesting work, journalist and editor Starobin looks at the whys and hows that helped rush South Carolina joyfully into secession in the aftermath of the election of 1860. He argues that there had developed a veritable “mania” for rejection of the Federal government, as well as a hatred for the “Black Republican” President-elect Lincoln and the “cowardly Yankees” of the North.

More: https://www.strategypage.com/bookreviews/1680
 
South Carolina practically was where secession was the strongest and such sentiment would spread to the other Southern states including some border states. Of course there is Nullification in 1832 as well as John C. Calhoun (states' rights defender to most Southerners) and South Carolina alongside Virginia spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to arm themselves in a future conflict (see America's Great Debate by Fergus M. Bordewich).
 
View attachment 226809

by Paul Starobin

New York: Perseus Public Affairs, 2017. 296. Pp. xii, 290. $27.00. ISBN: 1610396227

South Carolina Rushing Blindly into Disaster

In this interesting work, journalist and editor Starobin looks at the whys and hows that helped rush South Carolina joyfully into secession in the aftermath of the election of 1860. He argues that there had developed a veritable “mania” for rejection of the Federal government, as well as a hatred for the “Black Republican” President-elect Lincoln and the “cowardly Yankees” of the North.

More: https://www.strategypage.com/bookreviews/1680
@CMWinkler just letting you know that this book review is featured today.
 
Last edited:
View attachment 226809

by Paul Starobin

New York: Perseus Public Affairs, 2017. 296. Pp. xii, 290. $27.00. ISBN: 1610396227

South Carolina Rushing Blindly into Disaster

In this interesting work, journalist and editor Starobin looks at the whys and hows that helped rush South Carolina joyfully into secession in the aftermath of the election of 1860. He argues that there had developed a veritable “mania” for rejection of the Federal government, as well as a hatred for the “Black Republican” President-elect Lincoln and the “cowardly Yankees” of the North.

More: https://www.strategypage.com/bookreviews/1680
While we are discussing this may I suggest the book which I am reading and one that is very interesting as to the political atmosphere in Washington 1840-1860 ,along with the contribution of the presses of that day,similar to today's media controls of the masses ,esp.the closer to the election of 1860. The Field of Blood,violence in Congress and the road to Civil War\Joanne B.Freeman.
 
I do have a question ; did it alter any of your concepts on those thirty years before the war and then with the establishment of the Republican party how the Northern/Western sections demanding Northern Rights.I found it interesting that this was the first time that Northern Rights are mentioned.Was these rights the right to move to the territories without blacks and create a White society? Remember that one of the issues even with the years prior to the war and even thought the early war years was what to do with free blacks .The North nor the West was willing to accept free slaves That issue had been there since the days of the establishment of the states.The issue that pressed on the political soul of the Nation was the expansion of the system into the territories then came the issue of what to do with the black after freedom .There were those who saw the moral issue of slavery .The average Northerner desiring to move West did not want to compete against the black be he free or slave esp.when he would work for less. Then there was the racial matter what rights would you grant a man who was considered the low class.Could we state that the war was more about the white man's rights than the rights of the Negro,that the white wanted the land for themselves and when the last territories were on the plate the North/West/East found themselves a party of men who would no longer be "bullied"? This was a duel that was long in coming and there were no longer any referees to halt this duel,for the South it was honor,they felt challenged . for the North it was the bully must to fought ?
 
Last edited:
I do have a question ; did it alter any of your concepts on those thirty years before the war and then with the establishment of the Republican party how the Northern/Western sections demanding Northern Rights.I found it interesting that this was the first time that Northern Rights are mentioned.Was these rights the right to move to the territories without blacks and create a White society? Remember that one of the issues even with the years prior to the war and even thought the early war years was what to do with free blacks .The North nor the West was willing to accept free slaves ;fear of cheap labor and racism.The South had slaves which kept the blacks from moving North ,there by the issue was not slavery the expansion of white versus the movement of blacks as slaves into these territories.Up till the formation of the RNC the South with its allies in the North was able to achieve this till the last territories were on the table and the North must now fight or continue to be BULLIED by Southern System.Is this a reasonable conclusion as to the political crises that brought on the war that was already being fought in Kansas and in the Congress.Miniature battles of what was to be
I have seen speculation that Northern Nationalism started in the 1830s as a side effect of the nullification crisis. That needs some fleshing out. (on my to do list) Interesting enough, the existence of Southern nationalism seems to have been around forever, but no one seems to have question northern nationalism until recently. Yet it takes 2 to make war. If it was slavery, then why slavery.
 
I have seen speculation that Northern Nationalism started in the 1830s as a side effect of the nullification crisis. That needs some fleshing out. (on my to do list) Interesting enough, the existence of Southern nationalism seems to have been around forever, but no one seems to have question northern nationalism until recently. Yet it takes 2 to make war. If it was slavery, then why slavery.
Northern Nationalism can be traced back to the first act of succession by New England states against the War of 1812/Madison's War.Would the North would have been pleased to see the Southern states depart and take their Rights with them but for the firing on Sumter and Lincoln's act of calling up forces to counter CSA actions against Federal property/to quell the hostil Southern Rebellion,knowing that such feelings were expressed even in the cabinet aka Stewart? Remember,Northern Rights .The one issue to have been resolved would the West be provided open transit down the Mississippi ,that was one reason the West fought so hard during the war.Think how having to pay a toll fee one to Ms and then to even La!
 
Northern Nationalism can be traced back to the first act of succession by New England states against the War of 1812/Madison's War.Would the North would have been pleased to see the Southern states depart and take their Rights with them but for the firing on Sumter and Lincoln's act of calling up forces to counter CSA actions against Federal property/to quell the hostil Southern Rebellion,knowing that such feelings were expressed even in the cabinet aka Stewart? Remember,Northern Rights .The one issue to have been resolved would the West be provided open transit down the Mississippi ,that was one reason the West fought so hard during the war.Think how having to pay a toll fee one to Ms and then to even La!
Interesting concept
 
Northern Nationalism can be traced back to the first act of succession by New England states against the War of 1812/Madison's War.Would the North would have been pleased to see the Southern states depart and take their Rights with them but for the firing on Sumter and Lincoln's act of calling up forces to counter CSA actions against Federal property/to quell the hostil Southern Rebellion,knowing that such feelings were expressed even in the cabinet aka Stewart? Remember,Northern Rights .The one issue to have been resolved would the West be provided open transit down the Mississippi ,that was one reason the West fought so hard during the war.Think how having to pay a toll fee one to Ms and then to even La!
New England isn’t the North.
 
For everyone here who conflates "The North" with "New England", please note that by 1860 there were more people living in New York than in all five New England states.
 
I have seen speculation that Northern Nationalism started in the 1830s as a side effect of the nullification crisis. That needs some fleshing out. (on my to do list) Interesting enough, the existence of Southern nationalism seems to have been around forever, but no one seems to have question northern nationalism until recently. Yet it takes 2 to make war. If it was slavery, then why slavery.

Historians Avery O. Craven and David M. Potter say 1848-1861.

Avery O. Craven, The Growth of Southern Nationalism, 1848 -1861: A History of the South.

David M. Potter, The Impending Crisis:1848-1861.
 
Back
Top