Mastering America recounts efforts of 'proslavery nationalists' to navigate the nineteenth-century geopolitics of imperialism, federalism, and nationalism and to articulate themes of American mission in overtly proslavery terms. At the heart of this study are spokesmen of the Southern 'Master Class' who crafted a vision of American destiny that put chattel slavery at its center. Looking beyond previous studies of the links between these 'proslavery nationalists' and secession, the book sheds new light on the relationship between the conservative Unionism of the 1850s and the key formulations of Confederate nationalism that arose during war in the 1860s. Bonner's innovative research charts the crucial role these men and women played in the development of American imperialism, constitutionalism, evangelicalism, and popular patriotism.

Mastering America recounts efforts of 'proslavery nationalists' to navigate the nineteenth-century geopolitics of imperialism, federalism, and nationalism and to articulate themes of American mission in overtly proslavery terms. At the heart of this study are spokesmen of the Southern 'Master Class' who crafted a vision of American destiny that put chattel slavery at its center. Looking beyond previous studies of the links between these 'proslavery nationalists' and secession, the book sheds new light on the relationship between the conservative Unionism of the 1850s and the key formulations of Confederate nationalism that arose during war in the 1860s. Bonner's innovative research charts the crucial role these men and women played in the development of American imperialism, constitutionalism, evangelicalism, and popular patriotism.

North America took its political shape in the crisis of the 1860s, marked by Canadian Confederation, the U.S. Civil War, the restoration of the Mexican Republic, and numerous wars and treaty regimes conducted between these states and indigenous peoples. This crisis wove together the three nation-states of modern North America from a patchwork of contested polities. Remaking North American Sovereignty brings together distinguished experts on the histories of Canada, indigenous peoples, Mexico, and the United States to re-evaluate this era of political transformation in light of the global turn in nineteenth-century historiography. They uncover the continental dimensions of the 1860s crisis that have been obscured by historical traditions that confine these conflicts within its national framework.

North America took its political shape in the crisis of the 1860s, marked by Canadian Confederation, the U.S. Civil War, the restoration of the Mexican Republic, and numerous wars and treaty regimes conducted between these states and indigenous peoples. This crisis wove together the three nation-states of modern North America from a patchwork of contested polities. Remaking North American Sovereignty brings together distinguished experts on the histories of Canada, indigenous peoples, Mexico, and the United States to re-evaluate this era of political transformation in light of the global turn in nineteenth-century historiography. They uncover the continental dimensions of the 1860s crisis that have been obscured by historical traditions that confine these conflicts within its national framework.

"Bonner offers an intriguing perspective on Confederate nationalism as well as a broader meditation on the meanings and uses of patriotism. Bonner's book provides valuable new historical context for the Confederate flag controversies of our own time."--Drew Gilpin Faust, author of "Creation of Confederate Nationalism" and "Mothers of Invention"

"This book describes more than the story of a flag, but the origins of a flag culture in the Confederacy. Bonner presents how southern separatists created symbols of resistance and then of national unity. This is the best study to date not only of the creation of the flags but also of their representation of an inner struggle of a people to define themselves, the meaning of the war, and their nation. Anyone who wants to gain an understanding of the complicated ways in which past and present intersect will want to consult this insightful study."--William Blair, The Pennsylvania State University

"Robert Bonner's "Colors and Blood" is an engaging, perceptive, and thought-provoking study of the Confederacy's flags and what they meant to the men and women who pledged allegiance to them from 1861 to 1865. Bonner brings to light in a most creative way one of the crucial but neglected aspects of the Rebel nation's culture, and in doing so provides valuable perspective on one of today's most contentious issues."--Stephen V. Ash, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

"The Confederate battle flag has been at the center of heated debates about the meaning of secession and the Confederacy, the changing uses of symbols in the South, and the continuing volatility of race in the United States. This perceptive and persuasive study explores how Confederateflags took on enormous emotional and political significance during the Civil War, as well as how Lost Cause advocates later used the banner to promote their vision of a gallant white South battling against the odds. Anyone interested in the cultural importance of flags, debates about the degree to which white southerners developed a sense of Confederate nationalism, and a range of other important topics will turn to this book with great profit."--Gary W. Gallagher, author of "The Confederate War" and "Lee and His Army in Confederate History"

Celebrated showman of the Old West, William F. ""Buffalo Bill"" Cody took on another role unknown to most Americans, that of the western land developer and town promoter. In this captivating study, Robert E. Bonner demonstrates that the skills Cody acquired from decades in show business failed to prepare him for the demanding arena of business and finance. Bonner examines Cody's efforts as president of the Shoshone Irrigation Company to develop the Big Horn Basin through large-scale irrigation and town development. This meticulously researched account shows us a Buffalo Bill preoccupied with making a buck and not at all shy about using his fame to do it. Cody spent huge sums, bullied partners, patronized state officials, and exercised his charm in pursuit of developing the high plains east of Yellowstone National Park. His efforts helped shape the city of Cody and the Big Horn Basin. With the famous Irma Hotel as a cornerstone, he built the first infrastructure of the Cody-Yellowstone tourist trade and connected his little Wyoming town with the wealth of the East through personal hospitality and travel. Laced with engaging anecdotes and featuring more than twenty photographs, William F. Cody's Wyoming Empire is a much needed look at an overly mythologized character. There was more to William F. Cody than the Wild West show - and we cannot construct a full picture of the man without understanding his entrepreneurial activities in Wyoming.