The American Civil War provides many avenues worth exploring, and scholars have approached the topic in a variety of ways. Paul Quigley’s book delves a little deeper than other authors’ and examines the idea of nationalism in the Southern states, and America as a whole during this time. Shifting Grounds: Nationalism and the American South, 1848-1865 offers many reasons for the South’s nationalism. However, it is clear that his book aims to define how Southerners notion of nationalism altered during the course of the Civil War, primarily through the idea that it moved outward, backward, and inward.
Quigley enables the reader to understand the evolution of nationalism by beginning before the Civil War, suggesting that nationalism was a concept …show more content…
In his introduction, the author states that in writing his book, “In doing so it is inspired by scholarship on unionism in the Civil War South, which, unlike most scholarship on nationalism, has been sensitive to the existence of fine shades of loyalty that are contextual, relational, and changing.” (Quigley, 6) Without consulting secondary sources, Quigley’s inspiration would be lackluster, creating doubt in his argument. Additionally, the use of primary sources illustrates individuals feelings during the years of 1848 through 1865. Diaries and letters provide sentiments that southerners may have been hesitant to say aloud, such as their inability to dedicate themselves fully to the Confederate cause. (Quigley, 158)
Shifting Grounds: Nationalism and the American South, 1848-1865 provides a new take on nationalism and how it was viewed in the south that historians in the past have neglected to look at from a strictly southern viewpoint. Quigley’s ever changing definition provides an understanding of how the American Civil War changed the southern mindset, especially when dealing with the Fourth of July holiday. By utilizing primary and secondary sources, the author was able to construct a valid argument that permeates the heart of Southern nationalism. Without this book, nationalism in the south may still be a
Quigley enables the reader to understand the evolution of nationalism by beginning before the Civil War, suggesting that nationalism was a concept …show more content…
In his introduction, the author states that in writing his book, “In doing so it is inspired by scholarship on unionism in the Civil War South, which, unlike most scholarship on nationalism, has been sensitive to the existence of fine shades of loyalty that are contextual, relational, and changing.” (Quigley, 6) Without consulting secondary sources, Quigley’s inspiration would be lackluster, creating doubt in his argument. Additionally, the use of primary sources illustrates individuals feelings during the years of 1848 through 1865. Diaries and letters provide sentiments that southerners may have been hesitant to say aloud, such as their inability to dedicate themselves fully to the Confederate cause. (Quigley, 158)
Shifting Grounds: Nationalism and the American South, 1848-1865 provides a new take on nationalism and how it was viewed in the south that historians in the past have neglected to look at from a strictly southern viewpoint. Quigley’s ever changing definition provides an understanding of how the American Civil War changed the southern mindset, especially when dealing with the Fourth of July holiday. By utilizing primary and secondary sources, the author was able to construct a valid argument that permeates the heart of Southern nationalism. Without this book, nationalism in the south may still be a