Slavery was the spark that exploded into the Civil War, but why was the timber so dry? Why was slavery so fervently supported by so many Southerners? As described by Chapel Hill history professor William L. Barney, the move to erect the Confederacy was rooted in fear and resentment and spread in a viral frenzy as one state left the Union followed by another. He identifies an element to the crisis seldom noticed—a sort of middle class of militantly young slaveholders whose aspirations were threatened by Lincoln’s support for limiting slavery in the western territories. The Confederate Constitution was explicitly white supremacist but otherwise echoed its U.S. model in many details. The Southern rebellion was driven by the affluent who feared the loss of status and income if their slaves were freed.
To read more book previews and reviews, click here.
To read more articles by David Luhrssen, click here.
