The Fifth Border State - Slavery, Emancipation, and the Formation of West Virginia, 1829-1872 (Paperback)

One of the first new interpretations of West Virginia's origins in over a century-and one that corrects previous histories' tendency to minimize support for slavery in the state's founding. Every history of West Virginia's creation in 1863 explains the event in similar ways: at the start of the Civil War, political, social, cultural, and economic differences with eastern Virginia motivated the northwestern counties to resist secession from the Union and seek their independence from the rest of the state. In The Fifth Border State, Scott A. MacKenzie offers the first new interpretation of the topic in over a century-one that corrects earlier histories' tendency to minimize support for slavery in the state's founding. Employing previously unused sources and reexamining existing ones, MacKenzie argues that West Virginia experienced the Civil War in the same ways as the border states of Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, and Delaware. Like these northernmost slave states, northwestern Virginia supported the institution of slavery out of proportion to the actual presence of enslavement there. The people who became West Virginians built a new state first to protect slavery, but radical Unionists and escaping slaves forced emancipation on the statehood movement. MacKenzie shows how conservatives and radicals clashed over Black freedom, correcting many myths about West Virginia's origins and making The Fifth Border State an important addition to the literature in Appalachian and Civil War history.

General

Imprint:	West Virginia University Press
Country of origin:	United States
Series:	West Virginia & Appalachia
Release date:	2023
Authors:	Scott A. Mackenzie
Dimensions:	229 x 152mm (L x W)
Format:	Paperback
Pages:	256
ISBN-13:	978-1-952271-71-7
Categories:	Books > Humanities > History > History of other lands Books > Earth & environment > Geography > Historical geography Books > Humanities > History > American history > 1800 to 1900 Books > Humanities > History > History of specific subjects > Military history Books > Social sciences > Politics & government > Political control & freedoms > Slavery & emancipation Books > Social sciences > Warfare & defence > War & defence operations > Civil war Books > History > American history > 1800 to 1900 Books > History > History of other lands Books > History > History of specific subjects > Military history
LSN:	1-952271-71-1
Barcode:	9781952271717

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