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The anthology 'The Life and Work of Jefferson Davis' presents an intricate exploration of one of the most polarizing figures in American history, through a blend of literary styles ranging from biographical sketches to analytical essays. The collection captures the multifaceted persona of Davis, not only as the President of the Confederacy but also as a man of letters, a politician, and a soldier, offering readers a comprehensive view of his life, ideology, and legacy. The diversity within the pages of this anthology underscores the complexity of Southern identity, the nuances of American Civil War history, and the enduring debate over Davis's place in American historiography, making it a significant contribution to the field. The contributors, Jefferson Davis himself and his biographer Frank H. Alfriend, bring together a powerful combination of firsthand insights and scholarly analysis. Davis provides a unique introspective into his own life, complemented by Alfriend's external perspective shaped by his historical and cultural insights, positioning this anthology at the convergence of personal memoir and scholarly biography. Together, they illuminate the societal and political undercurrents of the 19th century American South, adding depth to the discourse on Confederate legacy and American history. For scholars, students, and enthusiasts of American history, 'The Life and Work of Jefferson Davis' offers a nuanced and detailed examination of a contentious figure. The anthology encourages readers to engage with the complexities of historical narratives, providing a valuable resource for understanding the myriad ways in which individual lives can reflect broader cultural and political landscapes. Its a must-read for those seeking to unravel the intricate tapestry of America's past, offering a rare blend of personal reflection and academic analysis.
Excerpt from Speeches of the Hon. Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi: Delivered During the Summer of 1858 IN the Senate of the United States, May 8, 1850, in presenting the Resolutions of the Legislature of Mississippi. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
As rancorous debates over Confederate symbols continue, Robert Bonner explores how the rebel flag gained its enormous power to inspire and repel. In the process, he shows how the Confederacy sustained itself for as long as it did by cultivating the allegiances of countless ordinary citizens. Bonner also comments more broadly on flag passions--those intense emotional reactions to waving pieces of cloth that inflame patriots to kill and die. Colors and Blood depicts a pervasive flag culture that set the emotional tone of the Civil War in the Union as well as the Confederacy. Northerners and southerners alike devoted incredible energy to flags, but the Confederate project was unique in creating a set of national symbols from scratch. In describing the activities of white southerners who designed, sewed, celebrated, sang about, and bled for their new country's most visible symbols, the book charts the emergence of Confederate nationalism. Theatrical flag performances that cast secession in a melodramatic mode both amplified and contained patriotic emotions, contributing to a flag-centered popular patriotism that motivated true believers to defy and sacrifice. This wartime flag culture nourished Confederate nationalism for four years, but flags' martial associations ultimately eclipsed their expression of political independence. After 1865, conquered banners evoked valor and heroism while obscuring the ideology of a slaveholders' rebellion, and white southerners recast the totems of Confederate nationalism as relics of the Lost Cause. At the heart of this story is the tremendous capacity of bloodshed to infuse symbols with emotional power. Confederate flag culture, black southerners' charged relationship to the Stars and Stripes, contemporary efforts to banish the Southern Cross, and arguments over burning the Star Spangled Banner have this in common: all demonstrate Americans' passionate relationship with symbols that have been imaginatively soaked in blood.
In his masterpiece, Jefferson Davis, American, William J. Cooper, Jr., crafted a sweeping, definitive biography and established himself as the foremost scholar on the intriguing Confederate president. Cooper narrows his focus considerably in Jefferson Davis and the Civil War Era, training his expert eye specifically on Davis's participation in and influence on events central to the American Civil War. Nine self-contained essays address how Davis reacted to and dealt with a variety of issues that were key to the coming of the war, the war itself, or in memorializing the war, sharply illuminating Davis's role during those turbulent years. Cooper opens with an analysis of Davis as an antebellum politician, challenging the standard view of Davis as either a dogmatic priest of principle or an inept bureaucrat. Next, he looks closely at Davis's complex association with secession, which included, surprisingly, a profound devotion to the Union. Six studies explore Davis and the Confederate experience, with topics including states' rights, the politics of command and strategic decisions, Davis in the role of war leader, the war in the West, and the meaning of the war. The final essay compares and contrasts Davis's first inauguration in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1861 with a little-known dedication of a monument to Confederate soldiers in the same city twenty-five years later. In 1886, Davis -- an old man of seventy-eight and in poor health -- had himself become a living monument, Cooper explains, and was an essential element in the formation of the Lost Cause ideology. Cooper's succinct interpretations provide straightforward, compact, and deceptively deep new approaches to understanding Davis during the most critical time in his life. Certain to stimulate further thought and spark debate, Jefferson Davis and the Civil War Era offers rare insight into one of American history's most complicated and provocative figures.