About the book
What made the South the South for nineteenth-century Americans? Was it its geography, its economy, its slavery, its culture, its history, its politics? Or was it the stories that were told about the South—and the people who told them? In a Land of Strangers contends that the idea of a “distinctive” South did not crystallize out of the Civil War or politics; instead, it took shape decades earlier through the everyday observations of thousands of Northern teachers who lived and worked there from the late eighteenth-century through the Civil War. Young, white, educated, and marked as outsiders, these men and women occupied an unusual position of trust within Southern spaces, granting them rare, intimate access to the inner workings of slaveholding society.
Michael T. Bernath offers the first full-length study of this vast group of teachers—the most sustained point of contact between North and South in the antebellum era. Bewildered, curious, and constantly translating the South for themselves and audiences back home, these educators described a strange and profoundly different place in their diaries and letters. Collectively, they fixed a shared image of the South in the national imagination. In this book, Bernath reshapes our understanding of sectional identity, American culture, and why the idea of a distinctive South endures.
Editions of In a Land of Strangers
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781469696362
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781469696379
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469696386
- PDF
- ISBN 9781469696393
Read an Excerpt
What made the South the South for nineteenth-century Americans? Was it its geography, its economy, its slavery, its culture, its history, its politics? Or was it the stories that were told about the South—and the people who told them? In a Land of Strangers contends that the idea of a “distinctive” South did not crystallize out of the Civil War or politics; instead, it took shape decades earlier through the everyday observations of thousands of Northern teachers who lived and worked there from the late eighteenth-century through the Civil War. Young, white, educated, and marked as outsiders, these men and women occupied an unusual position of trust within Southern spaces, granting them rare, intimate access to the inner workings of slaveholding society.
Michael T. Bernath offers the first full-length study of this vast group of teachers—the most sustained point of contact between North and South in the antebellum era. Bewildered, curious, and constantly translating the South for themselves and audiences back home, these educators described a strange and profoundly different place in their diaries and letters. Collectively, they fixed a shared image of the South in the national imagination. In this book, Bernath reshapes our understanding of sectional identity, American culture, and why the idea of a distinctive South endures.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is In a Land of Strangers about?
What made the South the South for nineteenth-century Americans? Was it its geography, its economy, its slavery, its culture, its history, its politics? Or was it the stories that were told about the South—and the people who told them? In a Land of Strangers contends that the idea of a “distinctive” South did not crystallize out of the Civil War or politics; instead, it took shape decades earlier through the everyday observations of thousands of Northern teachers who lived and worked there from the late eighteenth-century through the Civil War. Young, white, educated, and marked as outsiders, these men and women occupied an unusual position of trust within Southern spaces, granting them rare, intimate access to the inner workings of slaveholding society.
Michael T. Bernath offers the first full-length study of this vast group of teachers—the most sustained point of contact between North and South in the antebellum era. Bewildered, curious, and constantly translating the South for themselves and audiences back home, these educators described a strange and profoundly different place in their diaries and letters. Collectively, they fixed a shared image of the South in the national imagination. In this book, Bernath reshapes our understanding of sectional identity, American culture, and why the idea of a distinctive South endures.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in In a Land of Strangers?
Lifestyle, Hobbies and Leisure > Local and family history, nostalgia > Local history
Where can I read a sample of In a Land of Strangers?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781469696362
How long is In a Land of Strangers and how many pages does it have?
In a Land of Strangers has 350 page(s)
Who is/are the Author/s of the book In a Land of Strangers?
Michael T. Bernath
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
In a Land of Strangers is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781469696362) and paperback(ISBN 9781469696379) and ebook(ISBN 9781469696386) and pdf(ISBN 9781469696393)
Where can I buy In a Land of Strangers online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy In a Land of Strangers from below
Where can I buy In a Land of Strangers?