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A Comprehensive Book Review Over Charles B. Dew’s “Apostles of Disunion”
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A Comprehensive Book Review Over Charles B. Dew’s “Apostles of Disunion”
Charles B. Drew’s book “Apostles of Disunion” is notably a classical piece commendable
for thoroughly examining the events linked to the secession of the southern states. As a history
professor specializing in reviewing historical narrations related to the Southern United States,
American Civil War, and the Reconstruction Era, his explanation differentiates him from other
writers examining this issue. Specifically, the book resonates with most readers since it addresses
a highly controversial topic among the general public and historians about the cause of secession
by the southern states from the union (Dew, 2017). A thorough examination by this author
provides the readers with a compelling account of how slavery and racism were the main cause
of the Civil War. Besides, the author traces the speeches and writing of notable commissioners
who traversed the southern states between 1860 and 1861, spreading the gospel of secession.
Further examination of the book shows that the author’s analysis of writings by the
commissioners helped unveil the common ideology used by white supremacists. The ideology is
significant in this explanation as it reveals how white supremacists refuted the neo-Confederate
claims that slavery and racism were the leading cause of the war. Through this approach, Drew
looks at the civil war's specific motivations, allowing him to see the issue from new and
interesting perspectives (Dew, 2017). For example, in his opening, the author notes that slavery
was arguably not a cause or main source of rage that drove the secession, but his overall
discussion proves the opposite. His supposition is supported by the letters and public speeches,
which are referenced as the apostles of disunion. The significance of these speeches is that they
attempted to convince the southern states of the need to secede following the climatic changes
linked to Abraham Lincoln's election. Drew’s narration shows that secession started with this
push, which was sparked in November 1860 after Alabama and Mississippi held state meetings
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to discuss the agenda of leaving the union. After the convention, the two states sent out
commissioners to other slave states and spread the gospel that secession was the most
appropriate course of action that served their interests.
The book's first chapter informs the readers about secession by introducing the motives
that led to the war. This introduction is supported by the following chapters, two, three, four, and
five, which note that regardless of the debate surrounding the cause of secession, the two
irrefutable contributors were slavery and racism. For example, in chapter two of the book, the
author explains key parts of commissioners and their overall role in secession. Chapter three
advances the argument further by describing the voting process and how apostles from South
Carolina were already moving across the southern states. In this chapter, the author tracks the
speeches and movements of the commissioners to help them understand the bigger picture of
their roles and responsibilities (Dew, 2017). In chapters four and five, the book expounds on the
states that could be described as borderline or less interested. Based on this discussion, the book
concludes by giving a detailed discussion of politically and socially relevant information that
supports his previous assertion that slavery and racism were the cause of the civil war.
Specifically, he notes that the economy of most southern states was centered around slavery, and
the desire to retain them led to the war.
The bigger picture about Drew’s explication of the factors that led to the war is his
rejection of approaches by revisionist historians. The opinion of this lot supposed that the
Democrats did not revolt because they wanted to protect slavery in plantations. However,
according to Drew’s observation of the trends in the southern states, he notes the attempts to
disassociate the Civil War from the fight to retain slavery. In doing so, the author cites the
speeches by individuals, such as Alexander Stephens, who was the Confederacy’s vice president.
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Such individuals argued that the Civil War protected the states’ rights (Dew, 2017). The author
cites a graduation speech in 1868 by a group of young Virginians, which, together with others,
had emphasized the overall occurrence as protection of the “honor and glory of the South.”
Based on these speeches and narration, it is evident that there was no specific mention of the
fight being about retaining slavery; instead, it was about honoring the good values founded by
the country’s founding fathers.
From a critical analysis of the text, it is evident that its central theme was motivated by
understanding the factors behind secession. According to Drew, regardless of the debate among
historians and the general public about the cause of the Civil War, the two causes were slavery
and racial differences. Specifically, the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 led to the
Democratic party initiating political actions, which led to the war. From a personal interpretation
of the text, the war erupted since the fear of losing slaves could be detrimental to the South.
Therefore, most southern states were motivated by the fear of losing free labor and their source
of economic. The fear of a new culture that came with the election of Lincoln led southern states
to believe that the federal government would destroy the South’s agricultural economy that
depended on slavery by abolishing the continued use of free labor from slaves in these
plantations.
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References
Dew, C. B. (2017).
Apostles of disunion: Southern secession commissioners and the causes of
the Civil War
(15th ed.). University of Virginia Press.