Reforging the White Republic: Race, Religion, and American Nationalism, 1865–1898

Conflicting Worlds: New Dimensions of the American Civil War

by Edward J. Blum, John Stauffer (Foreword)

During Reconstruction, former abolitionists in the North had a golden opportunity to pursue true racial justice and permanent reform in America. But after the sacrifice made by thousands of Union soldiers to arrive at this juncture, the moment soon slipped away, leaving many whites throughout the North and South more racist than before. Edward J. Blum takes a fresh look at the reasons for this failure in Reforging the White Republic, focusing on the vital role that religion played in reunifying northern and southern whites into a racially segregated society. A blend of history and social science, Reforging the White Republic offers a surprising perspective on the forces of religion as well as nationalism and imperialism at a critical point in American history.

Genres: History, American History, Nonfiction

400 pages, Paperback

First published April 20, 2005

About the author

Ed Blum teaches history of race and religion in the United States at San Diego State University. He is the author (with Paul Harvey) of [Book:The Color of Christ: The Son of God and the Saga of Race in America] (2012), [Book: W. E. B. Du Bois, American Prophet] (2007), and [Book: Reforging the White Republic: Race, Religion, and American Nationalism, 1865-1898] (2005). He is also the co-editor (with Paul Harvey) of [Book: The Columbia Guide to Religion in American History] (2012), (with Jason R. Young) [Book: The Souls of W. E. B. Du Bois: New Essays and Reflections] (2009), and (with W. Scott Poole) [Book: Vale of Tears: New Essays on Religion and Reconstruction] (2005).

Reviews

[Maria Strayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blum's work is a new interpretation of post-war America from the end of the Civil War until the turn of the century. Blum argues that although the Civil War drove a stake into the heart of the country, separating it into a triangle of tensions among Yankees, Confederates and African Americans, the sectional separation quickly ended and American returned to its white-black hierarchy. The book is focused around 3 major factors which Blum demonstrates "eliminated" sectional differences and restored the pre-war "white republic": Religion/Third Great Awakening in the 1870s, Yellow Fever epidemic of 1878, and social/political responses to the hardships of the 70s (including the impact of the depression and the rise of the WCTU). The work is quite impressive as it traces the impact of religion in reuniting the North and South and reestablishing the racial hierarchy. However, the reader must take into account the fact that Blum's work on focused on the North…although he deals with the South/West and nation as a whole, his intention is to trace religious and political leaders in the North and how Northerners came to support the end Reconstruction and reconciliation with the South. At times, Blum comes off as overly optimistic in this complete reconciliation and possibly could have benefitted from more attention to the South, however, the work is highly successful in its intentions and is intriguing to read.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an utterly fascinating look at the transitional period of Reconstruction, from North/South division to a reunification on the principals of evangelical Protestantism and white supremacy. It is amazing to see a historical account explain, in so much nuanced detail, the ways in which northern Republicans compromised their initial beliefs about racial equality to forge a new series of alliances with white Southern democrats. Blum's prose--utterly readable and richly sourced--takes us through the periods of initial racial uplift, in which white northern reformers, educators, and volunteers moved to the South to help African-American communities rebuild and find opportunities for education, housing, and more, a period in which many found themselves finding sincere connections and alliances with newly freed blacks. This initial period also featured extreme racializing of poor whites to make them appear degenerate and alien, depicted in great visual detail in Northern magazines and newspapers. However, the ruptures between northern and southern churches were mended, through charismatic preachers such as Dwight Moody, through an articulation of union that might have initially been about setting aside politics, but eventually became about heroicizing and praising Southern whites--and in doing so, failing to critique their racial attitudes and failing to make civil rights a central tenet of the third Great Awakening. The resurgence of unifying religious sentiment only deepened during the yellow fever epidemic of 1878, during which white Northerners offered extensive support to white Southerners while neglecting--and often outright endangering--African-Americans around them.

Through these series of events, Blum is tracing a religious, political, and racial logic that eventually linked the necessity of unity to the necessity of whiteness, compounded by the divine sanction of reunification. He does this through detailed sourcing from major newspapers, pamphlets, organization records, and personal correspondence of the era, and though he tells the story primarily from the perspective of white Northerners (those most culpable for sacrificing and compromising their initial radicalism for the sake of unity), he also weaves in perspectives from African-Americans and white Southerners in every chapter. This becomes especially interesting in his chapter on the WCTU (Women's Christian Temperance Union) and how it forged alliances between Northern and Southern women toward a future form of political engagement. That he is then able to leverage the WCTU's power into a final chapter on how a nation reunified in the twin goals of white supremacy and evangelicalism could then embark on a serious of imperial projects, including the Spanish-American war and the military takeover of the Philippines, is even more impressive. It is hard to chronicle a narrative that is as much about personal politics as it is about national and imperial projects, but Blum does an extraordinary job. The one quibble I have is that, especially in the chapter on the WCTU, Blum's sources seem heavily focused on the perspectives of those clearly rooted in the middle to upper class echelons of white America. It would be interesting to know how those attending the revival tent gatherings who were poorer or more disenfranchised would have felt about the unification with elite whites (following on McCurry's book in which she details how yeomans and white planters came together in the pre-Civil War era on the premise of evangelism and white male supremacy). Nevertheless, a totally fascinating and rewarding read.

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book captured my attention from the outset, and kept it until the end. Well-written, with a compelling thesis. I think a lot of contemporary Americans need to read this book, because history repeats itself. Solid book, this one.

[Van Til · Rating 1 out of 5]

trash

[Eric]

During Reconstruction, former abolitionists in the North had a golden opportunity to pursue true racial justice and permanent reform in America. But why, after the sacrifice made by thousands of Civil War patriots to arrive at this juncture, did the moment slip away, leaving many white through the North and South more racst than before? This book takes a fresh look at this question and focuses on the role that religion played in reunifying northern and southern whites in to a racially segregated society. The author tells the fascinating story of how northern Protestantism, once the datalyst for racial egalitarianism, promoted the image of a "white republic" that conflated whiteness, godliness, and nationalism.

[Lorraine Herbon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fresh new take on the factors that led to the reunion of the sections after the Civil War and the ways in which the struggle for black equality was shuffled to the side in favor of white solidarity.

[Jacob Dunning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong historical research on nationalism and reconstruction.

[Crazyloc · Rating 4 out of 5]

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