By necessity then, he diminished the significance of Early, who failed to reach a broad audience, but nevertheless crafted many of the ideas behind the Lost Cause. It was neither a coherent myth nor a civil religion. (VMI Archives)īy mostly concentrating upon society and organizations, Foster posited that the Lost Cause was only truly successful when it became a broad celebration. In addition, the Spanish-American War caused the North to embrace the valor of the Southern soldier, healing one of the more persistent psychological wounds. Nevertheless, this movement declined after 1900, as the gatherings took on a more elitist flavor and organizations, such as The Sons of Confederate Veterans, seemed more interested in the high social standing of its members. These gatherings commanded great crowds and were influential because they called for reconciliation, were inclusive of veterans from all classes, offered a sanctuary from the turbulence of industrialization, and healed deep wounds to the Southern psyche by celebrating the courage of the average soldier. Instead, the true expression of the Lost Cause arrived after 1880, as veteran associations sprang up and New South leaders embraced remembrance celebrations. However, Foster contended that Early and his vocal associates were of only marginal importance because of their elitist trappings and refusal to embrace any kind of reconciliation. At the same time the Virginians, led by Jubal Early, attempted to shape how the South interpreted the war. The earliest forms of remembrance were reserved for the dead, and centered upon cemeteries. Ghosts of the Confederacyįoster broke down the Lost Cause into three phases. While still an important text, Foster’s analysis has since been both refuted and expanded upon, and among the works to do both is David W. Foster wrote Ghosts of the Confederacy, that the Lost Cause was given a chronology and placed within the context of the New South, particularly how it functioned within Southern society. At the same the Lost Cause was coming under attack in the work of historians such as Bruce Catton who popularized the Northern war experience. Warren argued that both sides used the war as an alibi for post-war failures, including corruption and racial injustice. However, Robert Penn Warren critiqued this vision with The Legacy of the Civil War. This book will be read, and it will make a difference.In 1961 the nation celebrated the centennial of the American Civil War with a glorification of battlefield heroics entwined within a narrative of a nation reforged in the fires of war. That is important, because few Americans have a clear understanding of the impact of slavery in our nation’s history. The masterful and engaging style of Race and Reunion makes it extraordinarily appealing to a broad audience. “Blight’s book is not only good history, it is superb writing. In awarding Blight the $25,000 Frederick Douglass Prize, the award’s sponsors said: Rich writes, "Blight's book exposes the misinformation, puffery, and distortions that characterized Southern memories and history." István Vida writes, "It is justified to call Professor Blight a pioneer of this field, and his Race and Reunion offers the most comprehensive study of the War.rel on a stupendous variety of primary sources." In Rhetoric & Public Affairs, Wilbur C. Reception īlight’s work was widely praised by other scholars. These ideas were influential for decades, and published in textbooks, histories and other works. He describes the way Lost Cause, states rights, and the Old South myths were promoted by Southerners in literature and popular culture. Blight investigates how the Civil War was reimagined, with white soldiers on both sides sharing common valor and glory of military campaign, eliding the destruction of slavery from its central role as the integral cause of the war. The book looks at the aftermath of the Civil War and argues that sectional division was lessened and reconciliation achieved at the expense of memory of slavery and the continuing effects of racial prejudice and discrimination on the United States. The book was awarded the Frederick Douglass Prize for the best book on slavery of 2001. Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory is a 2001 book by the American historian David W.
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