About the book
In this highly original study, Gregory Downs argues that the most American of wars, the Civil War, created a seemingly un-American popular politics, rooted not in independence but in voluntary claims of dependence. Through an examination of the pleas and petitions of ordinary North Carolinians, Declarations of Dependence contends that the Civil War redirected, not destroyed, claims of dependence by exposing North Carolinians to the expansive but unsystematic power of Union and Confederate governments, and by loosening the legal ties that bound them to husbands, fathers, and masters.
Faced with anarchy during the long reconstruction of government authority, people turned fervently to the government for protection and sustenance, pleading in fantastic, intimate ways for attention. This personalistic, or what Downs calls patronal, politics allowed for appeals from subordinate groups like freed blacks and poor whites, and also bound people emotionally to newly expanding postwar states. Downs’s argument rewrites the history of the relationship between Americans and their governments, showing the deep roots of dependence, the complex impact of the Civil War upon popular politics, and the powerful role of Progressivism and segregation in submerging a politics of dependence that — in new form — rose again in the New Deal and persists today.
Editions of Declarations of Dependence
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780807834442
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781469615394
- EBook
- ISBN 9780807877760
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469603407
- EBook
- ISBN 9798890883766
- EBook
- ISBN 9798893133516
Read an Excerpt
In this highly original study, Gregory Downs argues that the most American of wars, the Civil War, created a seemingly un-American popular politics, rooted not in independence but in voluntary claims of dependence. Through an examination of the pleas and petitions of ordinary North Carolinians, Declarations of Dependence contends that the Civil War redirected, not destroyed, claims of dependence by exposing North Carolinians to the expansive but unsystematic power of Union and Confederate governments, and by loosening the legal ties that bound them to husbands, fathers, and masters.
Faced with anarchy during the long reconstruction of government authority, people turned fervently to the government for protection and sustenance, pleading in fantastic, intimate ways for attention. This personalistic, or what Downs calls patronal, politics allowed for appeals from subordinate groups like freed blacks and poor whites, and also bound people emotionally to newly expanding postwar states. Downs’s argument rewrites the history of the relationship between Americans and their governments, showing the deep roots of dependence, the complex impact of the Civil War upon popular politics, and the powerful role of Progressivism and segregation in submerging a politics of dependence that — in new form — rose again in the New Deal and persists today.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Declarations of Dependence about?
In this highly original study, Gregory Downs argues that the most American of wars, the Civil War, created a seemingly un-American popular politics, rooted not in independence but in voluntary claims of dependence. Through an examination of the pleas and petitions of ordinary North Carolinians, Declarations of Dependence contends that the Civil War redirected, not destroyed, claims of dependence by exposing North Carolinians to the expansive but unsystematic power of Union and Confederate governments, and by loosening the legal ties that bound them to husbands, fathers, and masters.
Faced with anarchy during the long reconstruction of government authority, people turned fervently to the government for protection and sustenance, pleading in fantastic, intimate ways for attention. This personalistic, or what Downs calls patronal, politics allowed for appeals from subordinate groups like freed blacks and poor whites, and also bound people emotionally to newly expanding postwar states. Downs’s argument rewrites the history of the relationship between Americans and their governments, showing the deep roots of dependence, the complex impact of the Civil War upon popular politics, and the powerful role of Progressivism and segregation in submerging a politics of dependence that — in new form — rose again in the New Deal and persists today.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Declarations of Dependence?
History and Archaeology > History > History of the Americas
Where can I read a sample of Declarations of Dependence?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780807834442
How long is Declarations of Dependence and how many pages does it have?
Declarations of Dependence has 360 page(s)
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Declarations of Dependence?
Gregory P. Downs
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Declarations of Dependence is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780807834442) and paperback(ISBN 9781469615394) and ebook(ISBN 9780807877760) and ebook(ISBN 9781469603407) and ebook(ISBN 9798890883766) and ebook(ISBN 9798893133516)
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Where can I buy Declarations of Dependence?