A Dangerous Stir

Fear, Paranoia, and the Making of Reconstruction

Nonfiction, History, Americas, United States, Civil War Period (1850-1877), Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science
Cover of the book A Dangerous Stir by Mark Wahlgren Summers, The University of North Carolina Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Mark Wahlgren Summers ISBN: 9781469610405
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press Publication: December 1, 2012
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press Language: English
Author: Mark Wahlgren Summers
ISBN: 9781469610405
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
Publication: December 1, 2012
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press
Language: English

Reconstruction policy after the Civil War, observes Mark Wahlgren Summers, was shaped not simply by politics, principles, and prejudices. Also at work were fears--often unreasonable fears of renewed civil war and a widespread sense that four years of war had thrown the normal constitutional process so dangerously out of kilter that the republic itself remained in peril.

To understand Reconstruction, Summers contends, one must understand that the purpose of the North's war was--first and foremost--to save the Union with its republican institutions intact. During Reconstruction there were always fears in the mix--that the Civil War had settled nothing, that the Union was still in peril, and that its enemies and the enemies of republican government were more resilient and cunning than normal mortals. Many factors shaped the reintegration of the former Confederate states and the North's commitment to Reconstruction, Summers agrees, but the fears of war reigniting, plots against liberty, and a president prepared to father a coup d'etat ranked higher among them than historians have recognized.

Both a dramatic narrative of the events of Reconstruction and a groundbreaking new look at what drove these events, A Dangerous Stir is also a valuable look at the role of fear in the politics of the time--and in politics in general.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Reconstruction policy after the Civil War, observes Mark Wahlgren Summers, was shaped not simply by politics, principles, and prejudices. Also at work were fears--often unreasonable fears of renewed civil war and a widespread sense that four years of war had thrown the normal constitutional process so dangerously out of kilter that the republic itself remained in peril.

To understand Reconstruction, Summers contends, one must understand that the purpose of the North's war was--first and foremost--to save the Union with its republican institutions intact. During Reconstruction there were always fears in the mix--that the Civil War had settled nothing, that the Union was still in peril, and that its enemies and the enemies of republican government were more resilient and cunning than normal mortals. Many factors shaped the reintegration of the former Confederate states and the North's commitment to Reconstruction, Summers agrees, but the fears of war reigniting, plots against liberty, and a president prepared to father a coup d'etat ranked higher among them than historians have recognized.

Both a dramatic narrative of the events of Reconstruction and a groundbreaking new look at what drove these events, A Dangerous Stir is also a valuable look at the role of fear in the politics of the time--and in politics in general.

More books from The University of North Carolina Press

Cover of the book The Weight of Their Votes by Mark Wahlgren Summers
Cover of the book Shifting Gears by Mark Wahlgren Summers
Cover of the book Witness for Freedom by Mark Wahlgren Summers
Cover of the book Freedom's Children by Mark Wahlgren Summers
Cover of the book The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture by Mark Wahlgren Summers
Cover of the book Telling Histories by Mark Wahlgren Summers
Cover of the book The Art and Science of Aging Well by Mark Wahlgren Summers
Cover of the book North Carolina's Hurricane History by Mark Wahlgren Summers
Cover of the book White Women, Rape, and the Power of Race in Virginia, 1900-1960 by Mark Wahlgren Summers
Cover of the book The Southern Tailgating Cookbook by Mark Wahlgren Summers
Cover of the book Women's Religious Activity in the Roman Republic by Mark Wahlgren Summers
Cover of the book Learning to Win by Mark Wahlgren Summers
Cover of the book American Originals by Mark Wahlgren Summers
Cover of the book Civil-Military Relations in Latin America by Mark Wahlgren Summers
Cover of the book New World Cities by Mark Wahlgren Summers
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy