Armies of Deliverance

A New History of the Civil War

Nonfiction, History, Americas, United States, Civil War Period (1850-1877)
Cover of the book Armies of Deliverance by Elizabeth R. Varon, Oxford University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Elizabeth R. Varon ISBN: 9780190860622
Publisher: Oxford University Press Publication: February 13, 2019
Imprint: Oxford University Press Language: English
Author: Elizabeth R. Varon
ISBN: 9780190860622
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication: February 13, 2019
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Language: English

Loyal Americans marched off to war in 1861 not to conquer the South but to liberate it. So argues Elizabeth R. Varon in Armies of Deliverance, a sweeping narrative of the Civil War and a bold new interpretation of Union and Confederate war aims. Northerners imagined the war as a crusade to deliver the Southern masses from slaveholder domination and to bring democracy, prosperity, and education to the region. As the war escalated, Lincoln and his allies built the case that emancipation would secure military victory and benefit the North and South alike. The theme of deliverance was essential in mobilizing a Unionist coalition of Northerners and anti-Confederate Southerners. Confederates, fighting to establish an independent slaveholding republic, were determined to preempt, discredit, and silence Yankee appeals to the Southern masses. In their quest for political unity Confederates relentlessly played up two themes: Northern barbarity and Southern victimization. Casting the Union army as ruthless conquerors, Confederates argued that the emancipation of blacks was synonymous with the subjugation of the white South. Interweaving military and social history, Varon shows that everyday acts on the ground--from the flight of slaves, to protests against the draft, the plundering of civilian homes, and civilian defiance of military occupation--reverberated at the highest levels of government. Varon also offers new perspectives on major battles, illuminating how soldiers and civilians alike coped with the physical and emotional toll of the war as it grew into a massive humanitarian crisis. The Union's politics of deliverance helped it to win the war. But such appeals failed to convince Confederates to accept peace on the victor's terms, ultimately sowing the seeds of postwar discord. Armies of Deliverance offers innovative insights on the conflict for those steeped in Civil War history and novices alike.

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

Loyal Americans marched off to war in 1861 not to conquer the South but to liberate it. So argues Elizabeth R. Varon in Armies of Deliverance, a sweeping narrative of the Civil War and a bold new interpretation of Union and Confederate war aims. Northerners imagined the war as a crusade to deliver the Southern masses from slaveholder domination and to bring democracy, prosperity, and education to the region. As the war escalated, Lincoln and his allies built the case that emancipation would secure military victory and benefit the North and South alike. The theme of deliverance was essential in mobilizing a Unionist coalition of Northerners and anti-Confederate Southerners. Confederates, fighting to establish an independent slaveholding republic, were determined to preempt, discredit, and silence Yankee appeals to the Southern masses. In their quest for political unity Confederates relentlessly played up two themes: Northern barbarity and Southern victimization. Casting the Union army as ruthless conquerors, Confederates argued that the emancipation of blacks was synonymous with the subjugation of the white South. Interweaving military and social history, Varon shows that everyday acts on the ground--from the flight of slaves, to protests against the draft, the plundering of civilian homes, and civilian defiance of military occupation--reverberated at the highest levels of government. Varon also offers new perspectives on major battles, illuminating how soldiers and civilians alike coped with the physical and emotional toll of the war as it grew into a massive humanitarian crisis. The Union's politics of deliverance helped it to win the war. But such appeals failed to convince Confederates to accept peace on the victor's terms, ultimately sowing the seeds of postwar discord. Armies of Deliverance offers innovative insights on the conflict for those steeped in Civil War history and novices alike.

More books from Oxford University Press

Cover of the book Special Educational Needs - Into the Classroom by Elizabeth R. Varon
Cover of the book Damascus after the Muslim Conquest by Elizabeth R. Varon
Cover of the book Zionism: A Very Short Introduction by Elizabeth R. Varon
Cover of the book Executing the Rosenbergs by Elizabeth R. Varon
Cover of the book Cracking the Egyptian Code by Elizabeth R. Varon
Cover of the book Cross-Domain Deterrence by Elizabeth R. Varon
Cover of the book The Oxford Handbook of the British Musical by Elizabeth R. Varon
Cover of the book Brain Landscape The Coexistence of Neuroscience and Architecture by Elizabeth R. Varon
Cover of the book Voices of the Vietnam POWs by Elizabeth R. Varon
Cover of the book The Tibetan Assimilation of Buddhism by Elizabeth R. Varon
Cover of the book The World Come of Age by Elizabeth R. Varon
Cover of the book Investment Risk Management by Elizabeth R. Varon
Cover of the book The Atlantic in World History by Elizabeth R. Varon
Cover of the book Global Organizations by Elizabeth R. Varon
Cover of the book When Political Transitions Work by Elizabeth R. Varon
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